Lost Girl
by CentrumPermanebit
Summary: Karina Jones has lived a very complicated life. She is the daughter of a pirate and the very first lost girl. However, she crossed Pan and got caught up in Regina's curse and now she will have to pay for what she has done. This is a story about Karina's journey from season 2 and on. There is a full summary inside. Will eventually be Pan/OC. Rated M for later violence and smut.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **Full Summary:** Karina Jones has lived a very complicated life over the past few hundred years. She started with a rough childhood that transitioned into even rougher teenage years. With her life taking so many unexpected turns it was almost a relief to be swept up in the Evil Queen's curse. Only, when Emma breaks that curse Karina finds her past rushing up to meet her, because not only is the father that she hates trying to find her, but so is Peter Pan, looking to play more games. She crossed him once before and now he wants to repay the favour. Karina finds herself torn between who she used to be and who she can be. With more and more complications arising everywhere she turns, Karina finds her life is about to get even more complicated.

 **Lost Girl**

 **~ Prologue ~**

 _Almost two hundred years earlier…_

"Karina, I need you to listen to me very carefully." I stare into the deep ocean blue eyes of my father and smile, despite the serious tone in his voice. I reach up with my tiny hand and grab onto the golden earring in his ear, tugging it slightly, all the while smiling even more. My father gently grabs my hand and places it down by my side. "Now is not the time for games, sweetheart. I need you to stay down here in your room until I come to get you, do you understand? I have to go out for a little while and I need to know that you're safe."

"Ok papa." I smile, my young mind not fully grasping just how serious this all is. My papa gives me a tight, twisted smile and then pulls me into his warm embrace. I tuck my face into his neck, breathing in the smell of rum and his leather duster. Growing up the smell had always brought me comfort because I associated it with my papa, my protector and the man who loves me the most in the whole wide world. Even when mama hated me, he loved me and he kept me safe.

"I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise." He looks deep into my eyes, the same colour as his own, nods to himself and then turns on his heel and walks out the door. I decided to settle down and play with some dolls my papa had bought me on one of the many trips ashore. I don't notice how much time passes until I hear shouting from above on the deck.

I frown and get up, intent to check on the source of the noise. The promise I had made my papa is the furthest thing from my mind as I creep up the stairs to the main deck, hiding behind some barrels. I can see that my papa is back and so is Milah, the lady who isn't my mama, but my papa likes. Looking closer I can see a man with strange looking skin has his hand inside of Milah's chest, moments later he pulls out her glowing heart.

Despite myself, I gasp and my eyes go wide as I stare at the glowing organ. "Milah! No!" Papa shouts and runs to catch Milah as she falls to the floor. Moments pass when suddenly the funny looking man crushes Milah's heart. She lets out a sharp gasp as her eyes close, going limp in papa's arms.

"Papa!" I shout and jump out from behind the barrels. Crew members try to grab me, men who have been like family to me shout my name; however I am too fast for any of them as I rush to my papa's side.

I watch as his eyes go wide with horror and he casts his gaze between me and the man. "Karina! Don't! Go back!" Being so young, I don't listen and suddenly I have an iron tight grip on my shoulder, holding me to the man.

"Papa?" I whimper, as I try once again to step towards him, only for the man to hold on tighter, causing severe pain to run down my shoulder and arm. My heart pounds in my chest and I can barely hear anything over the frantic beating.

"You may be more powerful now, demon, but you're no less a coward!" Papa snarls as he slowly gets to his feet, murderous intent shines in his eyes. "Hiding behind little girls. For God's sake, she's only five years old! Let her go!"

"I'll have what I came for now…" The man replies as he ignores my papa's words.

"You'll have to kill me first!"

"Ah, ah! I'm afraid that's not in the cards for you, sunny boy." The man taunts and then swift as lightning pulls out a blade and cuts my papa's clenched hand off. Papa falls to the floor, yelling in agony as he clutches his arm to his chest. Then as the man picks up the hand he places his sword at my papa's neck, "I want you alive because I want you to suffer, like I did. I lost my wife and my child, so now you will lose the same." He lets out a malicious laugh as he sheaths the sword.

Then, when his back is turned papa picks up a hook and stabs the man in the chest with it. "Killing me is going to take a lot more than that, dearie!"

"Even demons can be killed, I will find a way!" Papa's eyes settle on me, his eyes pained. Once again, I try to move over to him, but the strange man stops me, more pain travels down my arm and I wince.

"Well, good luck living long enough." The man replies sinisterly and just as my papa launches himself at me, his arms reaching out the grab me both the man and I disappear in a cloud of dark red smoke.

 **A/N:** This may be a slow start, but I wanted to show what started Karina on her path. The next chapter will start at the beginning of 2x01 when the curse is broken. This story will eventually evolve into a Pan/OC story; you will just have to bear with me until season three. Please take a moment to review!


	2. Chapter One

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter One ~**

A huge sense of foreboding passes over me as I walk down the streets of Storybrooke to Granny's diner to start my shift. My day had been going fairly well so far, despite the fact that I got called in to cover for Ruby flaking on her shift again. Today was just like any other day, not great, but not terrible.

I am unable to explain my feelings of apprehension until suddenly a huge wave washes over the small town, rooting me and everyone else on the street to their places. Out of nowhere all these memories flash before my eyes, memories I hadn't thought of in years, but I know without a doubt that they are my own. Memories that have been building up for over a hundred years; memories that I wish I could permanently forget.

I drop my bag in the middle of the street and clutch my head, shaking it as if that will help rid myself of my thoughts. Then I hear screams and I look up to see a large purple cloud, blanketing everything quickly making its way towards me. I gasp and turn to run, although I know it's futile.

I find an alleyway and press my back against the wall as I wait for the inevitable to happen. Sure enough, it doesn't take long for the cloud to reach me, practically suffocating me as it wraps around me. It lasts only moments, but it's long enough for me to recognize the feeling of magic in the air. Panic consumes me as I grasp at my chest, feeling for an amulet I am horrified to find is no longer there. I think back to the past 28 years I've lived under the curse and realize I haven't had it with me at all.

"Oh God…" I whimper as I hold my clenched fists against my chest. My fear makes me sick to my stomach because I know that _he's_ been watching me for the past 28 years. And now that there is magic in Storybrooke I know that he will be able to drag me back.

Just as my fear begins to consume me I can hear the delighted cries of other citizens of Storybrooke as they realize the curse has been broken. I take a deep breath and step out from the alleyway, my eyes going to Ruby and Granny, who are currently hugging one another and laughing. I quickly walk over to them, my eyes searching the faces of everyone as if he'll be there, smirking and ready to take me back.

Of course he isn't. He's going to make sure I suffer first.

"Karina! Oh my God!" Ruby shouts as she runs to me and wraps her arms around me in a hug. Once she lets go Granny also pulls me in for a hug and I smile at them, though it feels forced. As I look over their shoulders I see Snow White, Prince Charming and their seven dwarves smiling at me, though they seem unsure as to who I really am… Though that is probably for the best. I can't imagine they would like me too much if they learned who I was before the curse hit.

"So what do we do now?" Ruby asks, looking to Snow White for answers.

"Now I find my daughter." She smiles dreamily as she looks over to her husband, who has his own smile on his face.

"So it's true." A new voice breaks the momentary silence that had grown and we all turn to find Emma standing there, a dumbfounded look on her face.

I watch as the two parents slowly walk over to their daughter, embracing her with tears in their eyes. Feeling as though I am looking in on a moment I shouldn't be I look away to give them a small semblance of privacy. "You found us." Mary Margaret whispers, emotion making her voice sound thick.

"Grandpa?" Henry asks, seeming unsure as he too watches the family embrace.

David starts to laugh as he says, "Yea kid, I suppose so." He pulls Henry into a hug.

"She did it. She saved you." Henry says to his grandfather and then looks around at all of us standing near them.

"She saved all of us." Mary Margaret replies, tears on her cheeks as she stares at her daughter, seemingly unsure of what else to say to her grown daughter.

Emma begins to stutter, unsure of what she should say when Leroy interrupts her. "Uh, then why are we still here?"

"That my friend is an excellent question." David replies and walks towards the dwarves. As he does the dwarves start to rattle off questions, their panic rising with the more questions they ask.

"It was magic." I speak up for the first time and all eyes turn to me. Everyone looks shocked that I would know the answer. However, I've been around powerful magic long enough to be able to sense it when it's nearby.

"Karina's right." The Blue Fairy says as she walks up to us and greets Snow White with a warm smile. "It was magic. I can feel it."

"Magic?" Henry asks, bewildered. "But you're the Blue Fairy! Do something magical!"

"It's not quite that simple, Henry." She gives him a gentle smile. "No wand, no fairy dust, matters are complicated now."

"Let's go to the person responsible for bringing it… The queen." Leroy growls, his arms crossed as the rest of the dwarves nod along in agreement.

"No, wait!" Emma shouts. "It wasn't Regina. We need to talk to Gold." I raise an eyebrow as Emma turns on her heel and starts walking down the street in the direction of Gold's shop. Naturally, everyone begins to follow her.

I follow because of my own need to talk to Gold. I need to know why he took my protection amulet and I need for him to give it back. It may be too late to keep him from finding me, but at least I might be able to get it and then run. He won't be able to find me again once I have that amulet on.

As we're walking down the street I hear Emma talking to her parents and can't help but feel pity for her. She's gone her whole life as an orphan, a lost girl. I can certainly relate to that. Although, my coming about of being an orphan is drastically different than hers, at least her parents gave her up for a noble cause.

Just then an angry mob starts running down the street, yelling angrily and raising their fists in the air. The cricket comes running up to us, an umbrella in his hand. "There you are! Come with me. I need your help. Dr. Whale has whipped everyone into a frenzy. They're going to Regina's house; they're going to kill her!"

"Great, let's watch." Leroy mutters and I can't help but agree with him.

"No! We cannot sink to her level. No matter who she is or what she's done, killing her is wrong." The cricket insists and I just barely stop myself from rolling my eyes. I can't stand the whole "conscious" act this man displays.

"He's right, please! She's still my mom." Henry cries beseechingly.

"We have to stop them." Emma whispers to her parents.

"If the Blue Fairy is right and magic is here, Regina could have her powers back. They could be marching into a slaughter." David says, looking at everyone and then back at the angry mob. He looks at Snow who nods encouragingly and I know that's when the heroes have made up their minds. Everyone starts running off after the mob, however I stay behind. My first idea of talking to Gold is at the front of my mind.

I make it to Gold's shop in minutes and find him standing in the front room. I slam the door behind me and storm straight up to his desk. "Where is it?" I demand as I slam my hands down on the glass counter.

Gold raises his eyebrows, clearly unimpressed with my entrance. "Where's what?"

"My necklace. You know, the one I got a long time ago from that witch to help me hide from him. It's gone and I need it back. My guess is you have it." I narrow my eyes at him for a moment before I start to look around the shop, desperate to see the bright red amulet.

"Shockingly… I don't have it." He replies, a smirk etched on his weathered face. "But even if I did… It's far too late for you." Once again my fear consumes me and I stop my search to look at him. I attempt to keep a brave face, but something tells me he isn't buying it. "He found you the moment that necklace left your neck. And now… Now he's coming for you. It's only a matter of time until he finds you. And if I were you… I'd start running."

I swallow thickly before I say, "Would running even help?"

"Oh no." He starts to laugh quietly to himself. "But at least you can say to yourself you tried as he begins his torture."

Slowly I start backing out of his shop, suddenly feeling extremely claustrophobic. "You're wrong." I say, though it's more to myself than to him. Truthfully I know he is right, but I need to tell myself he isn't so I can grasp onto some form of hope.

"Afraid not… Nothing can save you now." He smirks wickedly as my back hits the door hard enough to make the small bell ring. I feel behind myself for the handle and then slip out the door, my mind a constant whirlwind of thoughts and my breathing heavy.

 _Nothing can save me now…_

Later that night I am sitting on a park bench, staring at nothing in particular, my thoughts racing when suddenly the wind picks up and the street lights start to turn off, one by one. I can hear the blaring sound of car alarms going off in the distance and people shouting. I jump to my feet just as a large earth quake shudders through the ground, knocking me back down. "What the…" I quickly get up again and start running towards the main part of town.

There, I run into Emma and her parents, looking just as shocked. "What on earth is going on?" I shout over the wind.

"Come on! We have to get to Regina!" Emma tells me as she and her parents starting running in the direction of the sheriff's office.

"Regina?" I ask to no one in particular. I follow them anyways, my curiosity getting the best of me. When we arrive there I see a large, ugly… Thing, sucking Regina's face off. "What the hell is that thing?!"

Nobody answers me as David picks up a chair and throws it at the creatures back, "Hey!" He shouts, just barely fazing the monster as it swings around to look at all of us. It throws the chair across the room and then backhands David, sending him flying. Then he pushes a desk away and almost pushes it into Mary Margaret who falls against a wall.

I grab a can of air freshener and pull a lighter from my pocket. "Over here!" I shout as the freshener catches fire. I aim it at the creature who shrieks horrendously before backing off and breaking through the window. It flies away, leaving all of us staring after in complete shock. As Regina starts coughing I turn to her and say, "I'll ask again, what the hell was that thing?"

"A wraith." She growls as she gets to her feet. "A soul sucker."

"Did Karina kill it?" Mary Margaret asks.

"No, it's regenerating." Replies Regina. "It'll be back… It doesn't stop until it devours its prey… In this case, me." She shows us her hand with a weird looking mark burned into her skin.

"So how do we kill it?" Emma asks, looking to Regina for answers.

She shakes her head and says, "There's no way. Can't kill something that's already dead."

"Then we have a problem." Emma mutters.

"That's an understatement of the year." I grumble and she shoots me a look.

"No, we don't. Regina does." David says, shocking all of us. Mary Margaret looks at her husband, baffled.

"You want to let her die?" Emma asks her father.

"Why not? Then it goes away, than we're safe." David replies, staring at Regina the entire time he says this. Before I can stop myself I let out a cold, sharp laugh.

"Oh, you heroes never cease to amaze me." Both Mary Margaret and Emma give me a weird look, however I simply shake my head, not in the mood to explain myself.

Regina and David continue to ignore the rest of us. "That's quite the example you're setting for you daughter, there."

"No, you don't get to judge us!" David snarls as he approaches Regina, his finger pointed in her face.

"Let me ask you something, where do you think that thing came from? Gold." She says bitterly, staring at the Prince with hatred.

"I made a promise to Henry." Emma says as she looks at her father. "She's not dying."

"If it can't be killed, what do you suggest?" Mary Margaret asks.

"Send it somewhere it can't hurt anyone." Regina smirks. "We need to get to my office. There is something there that will help us." The others nod their heads and start to follow the Evil Queen out the door.

"Are you coming, Karina?" Emma asks, stopping in the doorway to look back at me. I had been too caught up staring at the sky through the broken window. I could see the stars and the moon glowing, reminding me of my own problems I have yet to face.

"Um… I'll meet you there. I have to get something first." I tell her. She nods her head, shoots me a small smile and then turns to follow her parents and Regina out of the building.

For a moment I look back up to the sky, my eyes falling on two stars in particular that always held a special meaning for me. However, I quickly shake myself of those thoughts and turn on my heel, rushing to get to my apartment. If I have to go up against some evil creature, I'm not doing it without any protection.

I make it to my apartment quickly enough. The old run down building sticking out like a sore thumb on the street covered in bright, cheerful little shops and houses. But during the curse it was all I had been able to afford. Regina had given me a pretty meager life, though that's not really any different than what I have lived for so long, so I suppose I shouldn't be complaining too much.

I walk up to my apartment on the top floor and push the door open. All the lights are out and I curse to myself as I desperately feel the wall by the door for the light switch. I find it in a matter of seconds and flip it on. My eyes scan the room and I notice my window is open something I never do. With a few strides I am across the room and I slam the window back into its place, ensuring that I lock it.

I stare at it for a moment as that feeling of foreboding comes back to me. Quickly I spin around, almost expecting to see him standing there, but there is nothing. I let out a heavy sigh and try to remind myself that I'm being ridiculous. Like Gold said, he's going to make me suffer first and with the suffering will come serious psychological torture.

A chill runs down my spine and I race to my bedroom where I have my sword and daggers lying in a box underneath my bed. Surprisingly when the curse hit Regina didn't take away my weapons, instead she incorporated them into my cursed life, making me think they were part of some cool collection I got from my dad before he abandoned me.

The weapons may not do much good against the wraith, but they will certainly make me feel better. I strap the sword to my back and then place the daggers inside the lining of my combat boots. With a deep breath I rush out of my department and make my way over to the mayor's office.

As I approach the mayor's office I see the lights are flickering and I can hear the wailing of the wraith. I rush into the building to see fire everywhere and Regina kneeling on the ground with a hat as everyone else tries to fight off the wraith.

"Karina!" David yells at tosses me a broom on fire. I stare at it for a minute and then shoot David a sarcastic look. "A torch." He explains as if I don't know what it is.

"Oh I know what it is." I reply with a roll of my eyes. Nonetheless I try to stab the wraith with it, drawing his attention to me and off Regina who is still trying to spin that stupid hat.

"Now would be the time!" David shouts to Regina. There is a barrier of fire blocking David, the wraith and myself from Emma, Mary Margaret and Regina. David continues to attack the wraith from the front, while I attack it from the back. Together we are able to keep its attention divided enough that it is unable to do anything else but watch its own back.

Suddenly a portal of purple smoke opens, attracting the attention of the wraith. It knocks David and me aside before bee lining for Regina who is standing in front of it. "It's coming!" I shout as Emma knocks Regina out of the way.

Unfortunately, Emma is unable to get away fast enough and gets pulled into the portal. "No!" Mary Margaret screams. "I'm not losing her again!" She shouts to her husband before jumping in after her daughter.

"Neither am I!" David yells and gets to his feet. He jumps over the barrier that is thankfully no longer on fire and tries to jump into the portal as well. However, he is unable to make it in time and instead lands on his stomach on the floor.

I jump to my feet as Regina and I share an astonished look. David picks up the tattered hat, tears in his eyes as he realizes that once again he has lost his family. My heart reaches out to him because I can understand exactly how that feels. "Where are they?" David demands, his voice rough and filled with emotion.

"I have no idea." Regina replies. David gets to his feet and backs Regina into a corner.

"Are they dead?"

"The curse… It destroyed all the land." Regina seems unfazed by the threat David is imposing on her, instead she places her hands on her hips and looks him straight in the eye, confidence evident in her features.

"ARE THEY DEAD?!" David asks again, his voice louder and angrier.

"I don't know." Regina repeats herself, more forcefully this time.

"I should've killed you myself." He whispers, tears streaming down his face. He lifts his hands to attack her when suddenly Regina throws him back against the wall with her magic, vines wrapping around his body, holding him in place against the wall.

I can hear David gasping for air. "Regina!" I shout, approaching David on the wall as I try to peel the vines off his arms. "Let him go."

"No!" She says to me and then turns to look at David again. "You think you're some heroic prince? Please. You're nothing but the son of a shepherd. I should've killed you when I could… And now... Now I can." She smirks wickedly as she reaches her hand up to David.

"Regina…" I warn her. She turns and glares at me, then lifts her hand and sends me flying. I hit the wall and fall to the floor, the air knocked out of me. I try gasping for air just as Henry runs in with Ruby.

"Mom?!" He cries as he stares at her in disbelief. "What are you doing?"

"It's ok, you're safe now." Just as she says this David is released from the vines and he falls to the floor. Ruby and I run to his side to check if he's ok.

"Where's my mom, where's…" He asks and watches David cough several times, clutching at his throat.

"They're gone." Regina replies, her voice filled with sympathy I know she doesn't actually feel. "They fell through a portal… I'm sorry."

"No you're not." Henry cries. "You really are the Evil Queen. I don't want to see you again." Regina starts to protests and insists that she loves him. "Then prove it. Get Emma and Mary Margaret back. And until then, leave me, leave everyone alone."

"Where will you go?" She asks.

"With me." David says as he gets to his feet. Regina spins around and gives David a withering look. David, Ruby and I start to leave the room with Henry.

Just before I walk out I turn around and face the Evil Queen who watched us leave with a look of dark intent. I raise my arms and shrug my shoulders, giving her a "what can you do?" look before I continue following the others out of the building.

Outside I decide to part ways with the others. "Karina…" David calls and I turn back to look at him. "Thanks for your help today."

I stand still, completely shocked that he is thanking me. "Oh… Um, you're welcome." I try to smile, though my face feels frozen with a mask of disbelief. It's so rare that I am genuinely thanked. My whole life has always been looking after myself and ignoring everybody else. Helping David and his family today had been something new. "I'm sorry we weren't able to save Emma and Mary Margaret."

"It's ok. We'll get them back." David replies a smile on his face as he claps Henry's shoulder.

"There's that heroes optimism." I say more to myself than anybody. However, David hears me and gives me a funny look. "It's nothing, just talking to myself…"

"Oh, well, thanks again." David begins to steer Henry away who smiles at me and waves. I wave back at him though I remain frozen in my spot, watching as the two of them walk away.

With the curse broken, my life just got a lot more interesting.

 **A/N:** Well, here's the first chapter. There wasn't much for Karina's character development as far as I'm concerned, but there will definitely be more coming in the form of flashbacks. Please take a moment to review!


	3. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Two ~**

" _My papa will find me!" I cry as I struggle against the strange man's powerful grip. After we had disappeared in the cloud of red smoke I opened my eyes to see us standing in the middle of a village. It was late and there was barely anyone on the streets, but the smell of food cooking and the sound of fires crackling told me it was around dinner time._

" _Oh I highly doubt that." The man giggles and then pushes me forward. I stumble before falling to my knees, tears in my eyes._

" _Why did you take me? Take me back to my papa!" I shout, trying to appear brave. I stick my chin out defiantly and narrow my eyes, hoping my fierce appearance will be enough to convince him to take me home._

" _I can't do that!" The man giggles again as he starts to push me towards a house. It is one of many in a long row of wooden homes with a small flower box sitting out front just below the window. I can see that a light is on and shadows move back and forth, though I can't make out who they are. "You see, I made a deal! And Rumplestiltskin never goes back on his deals."_

 _As soon as he says those words the door swings open and a woman with flaming red hair tied in a bun steps out, a look of wonder on her face. "Oh!" She cries and then turns back to the open door, "Leif! Get out here now!" Moments later a tall man steps out, his brown hair is tucked underneath a hat and his hands look dirty from a long day's work._

" _Remember our deal?" The man, Rumplestiltskin, says to the woman. "I bring you a child and in return…"_

" _Yes, yes. We know what we have to do to hold up our end." The man says quickly, his dark eyes looking towards me, his expression unreadable._

 _Fear swells up inside me and I unconsciously step back towards Rumplestiltskin. "Where's my papa? I want to go home." I cry in a small voice._

" _Oh, but sweetheart, we're your new home!" The woman smiles at me as she rushes forward and clutches my hands in her own. "My name is Gail… I am going to be your new mother. And my husband, Leif, will be your father! Oh, we'll be a wonderfully happy family! You'll grow to love it here, I promise." Her husband steps forward and smiles gently at me._

 _I start shaking my head, tears running down my cheeks. "I want my papa! He's going to come for me, you'll see!"_

 _Looks of confusion cross over both of their faces as they look up to Rumplestiltskin. "I thought you said you would bring us an orphan!" Leif says to him._

" _Oh, yes, she is. Poor thing didn't realize I was saving her from death. The creature had already killed her father." Rumplestiltskin tells them, his tone laced with forced compassion. I open my mouth to say that is a lie when suddenly I find I am unable to speak. I look up and see Rumplestiltskin smiling wickedly at me. With a wave of his hand this man had taken away my ability to speak!_

" _Oh, sweetheart!" The woman cries and then pulls me to her, burying my face in her neck. Immediately I try to push her away, but her grip on me is so tight I find my small body isn't strong enough._

" _Don't forget our deal." Rumplestiltskin says ominously to the man and then without a moment's hesitation, he simply disappears in a cloud of smoke, leaving me with strangers masquerading as my new family._

I wake up with a gasp, sweat causing my hair to cling to my face. I had been having a nightmare… No, a memory of what happened to me when that monster took me away from my father. I close my eyes and place my hand over my racing heart, trying to calm down and breathe normally. My memories have been coming back to me in strange ways ever since the curse was broken. Sometimes it was dreams, but more often I am simply sitting and reading a book when something in that book, a word or description of something triggers my memory and pulls me in.

I push the covers off my body and jump out of the bed, eager to separate myself from that dream. I never did find out what deal Leif and Gail had made with Rumplestiltskin, but any deal with him couldn't have been good. Despite how I came to them, they had been good people and they treated me fairly. Though I was never able to tell them that Rumplestiltskin had captured me and taken me away from my very alive father. He must have used magic on me to keep me from telling them. I remember I had spent so much time trying to say it, to tell them that I had a father who would come for me and take me away. I did grow to like Gail and Leif, but they weren't my real family, and therefore I was never truly happy. I had complete faith that my father would find me and take me home, only… He never came.

"Forget about it, Karina." I mumble to myself as I head to the bathroom to take a shower, eager to clean the sweat and bad memories off of my skin. Ever since the wraith had come and gone the town has been in a frenzy, trying to figure out what to do, how to get back home to the Enchanted forest, and trying to find their loved ones lost during the curse.

I had been helping Ruby with crowd control, finding missing loved ones, carrying around sign-up sheets for therapy sessions and giving people care packages of the essentials for those who lost their home to the wraith.

It has been strange for me, helping so many strangers and oddly enough it actually makes me feel rather good about myself. Especially when I helped an old woman find her husband. The two of them had looked at me so gratefully after which that I became a little choked up. The sense of community was overwhelming and although I had many situations where I lived in similar situations, they were never like this. It felt strange to help people and expect nothing in return, but it was sort of a good kind of strange.

However, despite all the good I've been doing by helping out the town people, there is always that small voice at the back of my head; reminding me who I really am and telling me that he'll be coming soon. No matter what I do, good or evil, all of it will be for nothing when he shows up. He won't care. All he will care about is making me suffer for breaking our deal, for ruining the game.

" _It's the kind of games that we play, you run and I find you. But if I find you… You'll wish I hadn't."_ Those words come back to me now and I slam my fist against the shower wall, closing my eyes against the memories. I quickly turn the faucet, shutting off the water and then get out. As I wrap the towel around myself I try to ignore the silvery scars splatter across my back and shoulders.

Regina must have thought that she was cursing us when she took away our memories, personally I could have lived the rest of my life as my cursed self. My life may have been bland, but at least I didn't have any haunting memories to torment me. If only I had my protective amulet, I would have been safe and happy.

With a heavy sigh I try to put those thoughts out of my head as I quickly get ready, on my way to the town's center to continue helping out. It doesn't take me long to get there and my apartment isn't far from the center, so I get there quickly.

However, as I arrive I hear Leroy screaming, "Terrible news! Terrible news!" I groan and run towards the group huddled near the fairies tent. "Tell them who you think you are, Sneezy!"

"Would you stop calling me that? You know who I am." The dwarf says, looking exasperated. "I'm Tom Clark and I own the Dark Star pharmacy. What's going on here?"

"If you cross the border you lose your memory all over again." Leroy explains.

"And coming back doesn't fix it?" Archie asks, much to Leroy's annoyance.

"If it did would I have come back in yelling 'terrible news'?!" He shouts. "If we leave, our cursed selves become our only selves." Everyone starts to murmur uneasily, casting one another terrified looks.

Then, as if a flip was switched everyone starts to panic, asking questions and grabbing onto one another for comfort. David, looking overwhelmed, starts pushing his way through the crowd. "Hey, wait! David!" I shout as I run after him.

The crowd also starts to chase after David, still asking questions, their panic rising. "People! Everybody! We'll all meet back here in two hours. I'll tell you my plan to fix everything." Again he starts to walk away and the people feeling reassured start to go back to what they had been doing before.

Once again I chase after David, "So what's the plan?"

"I don't know. But I have two hours to figure it out." He mutters and walks away with Henry on his heel. I sigh and turn back to join Ruby, feeling helpless.

….

" _You're nothing but a stupid orphan! No one loves you!" The kids taunt me, pushing me over, pulling at my hair and throwing rocks at me. I try to get away, but there are too many of them. Every direction I turn, someone is standing there, smiling maliciously._

" _I am not!" I cry, my bottom lip wobbling as I try to hold in my tears. I had been living with Leif and Gail for almost two years now. In that time I had never given up the hope that my papa would find me, it would just take a little while. But one day he would come save me from all of this._

" _You are too! No one could ever love someone as stupid and ugly as you." The leader of the group, a boy named Tim, picks up another rock and throws it at me. I cry out as it hits me just above my eye. Blood starts to run down and blurs my vision._

" _You're one to talk!" I shout as I furiously wipe at the blood. Tim's pale face turns bright red with anger, matching his curly, bright red hair. Tim is the son of the town's baker and it shows with the size of his stomach. Top that off with his lips constantly being curled in a grimace, he is not very handsome._

" _Come on guys! Let's get her!" Tim shouts and that's when I take my chance to jump and rush at the smallest of the group, a little girl a year or so younger than I am. I reach out and grab her shoulders, pushing her as hard as I can. She falls to the ground with a loud cry and I run off, back to Leif and Gail's house._

 _When I get there, I can see Gail planting more flowers in the flower box. She looks up at me with a smile, but that's immediately torn off her face when she sees the blood. "Oh my goodness! Leif!" She cries and jumps to her feet. She pulls out a handkerchief from her pocket and presses it against my cut. "We are really going to have to talk to those children's parents." She sighs, her blue eyes full of sadness._

….

Two hours later the entire town is packed inside the town hall. Granny is walking around with a cross bow, looking threatening even in her old age, though Ruby doesn't seem to think that it's necessary. Meanwhile I'm trying to help with crowd control and keep everyone calm as we wait for David to arrive. Henry is helping me when suddenly the doors to the hall swing open, revealing his adoptive mother, the Evil Queen.

"My, what a nice turn out." She smiles wickedly. She walks into the room, towards Henry, Ruby and I who are standing at the front of the room. "No need for a fuss, it's just little old me…"

"Regina, think about what you are doing!" Archie pleads.

Regina spins around to look him and with a flick of her hand, she sends him flying. "Bug." She spits. Leroy comes running at her from the other side, but with another wave of her hand he also goes flying. Cries from the townspeople fill the room.

Granny uses her cross bow to shoot an arrow at Regina who catches it and catches it on fire with her magic. "How sweet." Then she throws it back at the crowd in the shape of a fire people. I grab Henry and push him to the ground, covering his head as the fire ball veers off course.

"What do you want?" Ruby demands, standing before everyone, a fierce look on her face.

"Me… She wants me." Henry says as he breaks away from me and starts walking towards his mother.

"Henry, don't!" I cry as I reach out to him.

"It's ok, Karina. I'll be ok." He tells me. He turns to his mother. "I'll come with you, just leave them alone."

"That's my boy." Regina smiles and then places her arm around his shoulders, guiding him out of the room.

"We need to find David." Ruby says as everyone begins to panic again. I hear people making plans to pack their things and leave, despite the threat of losing their memories.

"Agreed." I mutter, looking around at the chaos. Ignoring everyone else, Ruby and I run off in search of David, only to find him chasing Jefferson.

"David!" I shout as Ruby grabs him. "Stop! Regina has Henry!"

"But he has the way!" David protests, still trying to get past Ruby.

"Regina has Henry. She's threatening everyone!" Ruby cries. "She showed up at your town meeting, the one you missed. Her magic is back, everyone is panicking… They want to leave town. They're going to lose _everything_!"

"Ok, ok. But I have to go after him first; he's the only chance I have at getting Emma and Snow back." Once again David tries to break out of Ruby's hold. This time I grab him by the shoulder and push him back, surprising him.

"Back to what?" I demand, my temper flaring. "This town is about to come apart. You're the hero, you have to do something!" My words seem to strike a chord with David because after a long moment of studying me he finally relents, nodding his head and gesturing to his truck across the road.

"Come on, let's go." David, Ruby and I rush to his truck and pile in. He wastes no time putting the truck in drive and speeding off down the road, heading in the direction of the road that leads out of Storybrooke.

Sure enough, there are already lines of cars heading down that road, packed with each person's personal belongings. David speeds up and drives alongside them, honking his horn repeatedly. Then, he manages to pull ahead and cut them all off.

Ruby, David and I all jump out of his truck and David climbs onto the bed of it. Archie climbs out of his car and yells, "Move out of the way! We have a right to go!"

"Listen to me! Listen!" More and more people leave their cars and start to crowd around where David is about to deliver his speech. "If you cross that line, you are going to be lost. Everyone who loves you will lose you… But there's something worse. You will lose yourself! Look, I get wanting to leave here, I do. And I get that it's easier to let go of bad memories, but even bad memories are part of us… David, Storybrooke David was, IS weak, confused, and he hurt the woman I love. I wouldn't give up Charming just to be him, but you know what? I wouldn't make the other trade either. Because that David not only reminds me of whom I lost, but of who I want to be. My weaknesses and my strengths. David and the prince. I am both. Just like you. You are both, the town is both, we are both! Stay here and every choice is open to you. Live in the woods if you want, hell, live in a shoe if you want! Or eat frozen burritos and write software, let's open Granny's and the school, and let's get back to work. I will protect you. She won't be able to hurt any of us, not as long as I'm alive. Not as long as we all come together, as we did before. As we shall do again!"

As he finishes his speech a long and heavy silence hangs in the air for a moment, eventually broken by the quiet whispering as everyone begins to nod their heads, smiling and looking to their prince in approval. Slowly, people head back to their cars and make their way back into town.

"Nicely done, Prince Charming." I smirk as he jumps down from his truck bed. He grins at me, clearly proud of himself and the speech he just delivered. "Now let's hope you can keep good on your word and protect everybody."

…

 _That night I was lying on my bed, my cut was bandaged and my head was throbbing. Gail had tried to get me to eat some of the stew she had prepared for supper, but I found I couldn't stomach any of it. The words Tim had said keep playing over and over again in my head. They were the same things he has said before, yet somehow it felt different._

 _For the first time in almost two years I don't think about my papa coming to get me. He must have forgotten about me or he's dead. There will be no one coming to rescue me. I am stuck here, with this life. Maybe Tim was right and no one really loves me. Surely my papa did not love me since he has yet to come find me. I want to think that he's dead, that could be the only reason why he wouldn't come find me, but Rumplestiltskin had said he didn't want to kill my papa, and no one else could beat my papa in a fight. He's too good._

 _So he must have decided he doesn't love me anymore._

 _Tears fall down my cheeks, but I don't bother to wipe them away. It's late and I try to keep quiet so I don't wake Leif or Gail, but as more and more tears come, the louder my sobs become._

 _That's when I hear the music, haunting, yet beautiful, it intrigues me. I get out of bed and go investigate the sound._

 **A/N:** Hm, I wonder who could be making that music? I'm hoping to include more flashbacks in the chapters to come since I enjoy writing her flashbacks a lot. For the episodes, I might skip one or two here and there depending on whether or not I think Karina would fit well into them, I hate copying episode for episode and simply adding in the character, so I'm trying to keep that to a minimum.

Please take a moment to review!


	4. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Three ~**

I set a third glass of iced tea down in front of the girl with curly brown hair and ice blue eyes. "Are you ok?" I ask when she thanks me, smiling a little bit. "That's your third iced tea; I'd hate to have to call you a cab." This time I make my smile bigger to show her that I am only kidding. She seems slightly off, almost like someone who just woke up after a long nap.

"No, no! I've never had an iced tea before. It's delicious!" She gestures towards the drink sitting before her, her eyes wide with wonder as she examines the glass dripping with condensation, a lemon wedge stuck at the top.

My eyebrows shoot up into my hairline, shocked by her words. "You've… Never had iced tea before? Really?" I giggle and take a seat in her booth. "I don't think I've seen you in here before…"

"Well, uh, I've been a kept woman until recently." She mutters, her eyes drifting to stare down at the table.

"Let me guess, bad break up?" Acknowledging my question she slowly nods her head. "Well do you have a place to stay? I could always ask Granny if she has a room here."

"Really? Thanks!" Her astonishment is surprising and I get the sense that not many people have helped her simply to be nice many times before this. Hell, it's not as though I've helped many people before just to be nice in my life. This is all a new experience for me, just as I assume it is for her too. "Uh… I'm sorry; I don't even know your name."

"Karina."

"Belle." We smile at one another for a moment when suddenly Belle starts to frown. "Although… What I really need is a life. A job."

"Well… What do you like to do?" I cock my head to one side, studying the brunette.

"I do love books…" A look of wonder shines in her eyes and I can tell she is truly a book worm.

"The library!" I exclaim. "It's been closed forever, but since things are changing now… Maybe you can check it out?" Belle bites her lip and smiles; I can tell her thoughts have already begun to stray towards the idea of that possibility.

"Thank you! I think I'm going to check it out right now." With that being said, Belle jumps up from her seat and then pats her pockets, looking embarrassed. "Oh, uh, the iced tea…"

"Don't worry about it." I put my hand up to wave her off. "It's on me." Belle thanks me again and then scurries off, her excitement contagious.

Laughing, I pick up the empty glasses and take them back to the kitchen to be washed. Ruby, having seen the whole thing, grins at me. "That was nice of you."

"Yea, I've been doing a lot of nice things lately. It's weird." I make a face and Ruby laughs.

"Well I think it's great."

….

I'm wiping down counter tops when the bell rings, signaling more customers entering the diner. I look up, a smile on my face to greet the customers until I see who it is. My smile drops from my face and I raise an eyebrow as I place my hands on my hips. "Huh, what an odd pairing. Table for two?" I grin cheekily and I see Gold roll his eyes.

"Karina, we're here to ask you if you've seen this girl?" David hands me a flyer with a drawn picture of Belle on it. I can feel Ruby behind me, inspecting the picture over my shoulder.

"Belle, huh? Sorry, doesn't ring a bell!" I tell them and hand the flyer back to David.

"Karina, if you've come across her you have to tell me. I'll make sure nothing bad happens." David takes a step closer to me, his voice low.

I narrow my eyes at Gold as Ruby says exactly what I'm thinking. "Yea, but what about him?"

"I've got him. Trust me." David whispers as he looks deep into my eyes, urging me to believe what he is saying.

Heaving a heavy sigh I look up to the ceiling, annoyed. "She was in earlier." I look back to see Gold's attention on me now. "She was looking for a job. I pointed her in the direction of the library."

"Well do you think she went there?" Gold asks, approaching me. Immediately I take a few steps back, keeping him at a distance. Last thing I want is for that monster to come any closer to me. He is lucky that I'm helping him at all.

"Don't know. Safe bet is yes." I reply as Ruby grabs the sweater Belle had left, which we were storing behind the counter.

"When you find her, give her this, she left it in her booth." Ruby tells them, handing it over to Gold.

The pawn shop owner takes it, staring at it as though it's some lost treasure. "That's mine." He clutches the sweater with both hands, looking lost. " She didn't have anything for the cold."

"You sure you'll watch out for her?" Ruby questions David.

"Yes. Why?"

"I think… I think I can find her." She cocks her head to the side, looking at Gold. "Lately since things changed I've been a little more sensitive to odors."

"So you can smell her?" Disbelief laces his tone. Ruby makes a face and rips the sweater out of his hands. She places it to her nose and sniffs delicately.

"Cover me?" She asks as she starts to walk around the counter, towards the door.

"Don't I always?" I smirk and she laughs, nodding as she walks out the door, David and Gold on her heels.

…...

"Have a good night! Be safe out there." Granny calls to me when I walk out the door of her diner. I wave back at her and then start on my way home. The sun had already set and the streets are dark and bare, not very surprising as this town isn't exactly known for its night life.

Guided by some bizarre feeling, I turn around and shriek. A short, chubby man with curly brown hair and a wispy beard is standing behind me, with wide eyes he also lets out a yell. "What are you doing?" I demand angrily. "You don't just sneak up on people like that!"

"It's you!" He says instead, confusing me immensely. "Oh my God, I can't believe that it's you! How are you still alive?"

"Um, who are you? I've never seen you before." Immediately I take a few steps back, eager to put some distance between us. The man follows each step I take until finally I put my hand on his chest and push him back. "Personal space, buddy."

"Your name is Karina, isn't it?" The man asks, his eyes bugging out of their sockets. "It is! I know it is!"

"Again, who are you? And how do you know me? I've never seen you a day in my life before." Panic consumes me as I wonder if he could be working for him. No way would he send someone so obvious, it would probably be his shadow before a human, that way the shadow can carry me off before I can even protest.

"I knew your father!" The man exclaims. My blood runs cold and I take a few more steps back. My bottom lip curls in disgust and my fingers twitch, eager to grab something and hit the man over the head with it.

"How did you know him? He's been dead for a very long time." Truthfully I'm pretty sure that he is still alive, if I'm to believe the word of a mad man. However, I'm not about to tell this man that as I'd like to see exactly what he knows and whether or not he's lying to me.

"I was a member of his crew! He was looking for you." The man replies, looking surprised that I'm even speaking to him. Even more reason to think he's just some crazy drunk.

"You're a liar. Now stay the hell away from me." I start to back away, never once taking my eyes off of him. The man tries to stutter out a protest when I decide to turn on my heels and start running away. I can hear him calling after me the farther I run, but not once do I turn back.

…

" _Karina, how many times do I have to tell you? Do not climb on the railings." I can hear my papa's stern voice moments before warm hands wrap around my waist and pull me off the railings I had been balancing on. "One of these days you'll slip and fall into that water. Last thing I want is for you to drown." He places me on the ground, his hands on my shoulders, forcing me to look into his eyes._

" _But maybe then I'll get to be a mermaid!" I sing and jump in my place, smiling a large, toothy grin._

" _Don't think that's how it works, love." Papa smirks and then ruffles my hair. "Now, do you want to help me steer the ship? Hm?" He cocks an eyebrow, a mischievous grin lighting up his tanned face and I can't help but start giggling, nodding my excitedly. "That's my girl." Once again he picks me up and carries me towards the large, wooden helm. "Now, I want you to think of yourself as an extension of the ship." He pulls out one of his knives and begins to carve letters into the wood. "So the left side is port and the right is starboard. So how about you try going two notches to port?" He helps me turn the large wheel and starts to laugh. "Well done, lass. You were born with the sea in your blood. Just like your papa!"_

" _One day I'm gonna be a pirate too, just like my papa!" I boast proudly._

" _And you'll be a fearsome one!" Papa agrees, smiling down at me with the sun shining down on us. "So fearsome you'll even scare away all the boys…" He adds this last bit innocently to himself but of course I hear him. I bunch up my tiny hand and punch him with as much force as a little girl with a small frame can muster._

" _Papa!" I cry and he shrugs his shoulder, unaffected._

" _Just wait darling, you look a lot like me. You'll have plenty of boys lining up for your time." He mutters._

" _And your daddy will be there, ready to kill every single one of them!" William, a member of my papa's crew shouts and the others start to shout their agreements before breaking out into laughter._

 _Papa rolls his eyes as if he thinks the idea is ridiculous but then he grabs onto me and hugs me tightly. "Don't worry papa, every boy is gross except for you."_

" _Glad to hear it."_

…

Once I'm back at my apartment I'm shocked to find the window open again. I cast a quick look around my living room, almost expecting to see him standing there, but of course I don't. However, there is something on the coffee table.

With a few quick strides I am across the room and staring down at the object that had been left for me. A ring, one that used to belong to my father but he gave it to me shortly before I was taken by the Dark One. I had worn it around my neck for years, but had left it when I made my deal as a promise to return. It was special to me, even if I thought my father had abandoned me. It still reminded me of simpler times.

Slowly I reach down to pick up the ring and hold it up to my face, inspecting it. It looks the exact same as it did before. The only thing missing is the chain. With a sick feeling in my stomach I close my eyes to try and block out the memories.

One thing I know for sure is that this is his way of telling me that he knows exactly where I am. And he's reminding me just how easy it is for him to get to me.

As this knowledge sets in I can feel all the darkness I have held off for so long comes rushing back to me.

…...

" _Captain Jones…To what do I owe the pleasure?" Captain Morgan smirks devilishly, his eyes analyzing my petite frame up and down. Surely he is appreciating the sight of a young female body, but I know he is also inspecting me for any obvious weapons._

" _You know why I'm here. I have some questions for you." I close the distance between me and his desk with just a few steps, my smirk just as devilish as his own. Using every womanly charm I know I possess I lean over and pull a scroll out from the side of my boot. When I look up through my dark, raven hair I see his gaze is locked directly on my butt. I smile softly to myself because I know that it is only a matter of time until he gives me exactly what I want._

 _Captain Morgan may be considered one of the most fearsome pirates currently sailing the seas, but he is still a man; a man that is easily persuaded by a much younger and attractive woman. With long blonde hair hanging past his shoulders in dirty clumps and eyes so dark some say he can see into the souls of man, Captain Morgan is truly a perfect image of a pirate. However, I would never go anywhere near him unless I needed something. Not only because it was part of the deal that I made, but also because he is just a pig, plain and simple._

 _Unfortunately, he has information that I need, or so I've been told. I lay the scroll out in front of him and place a candle next to it, to light up the image drawn onto it. "I need information regarding this man."_

" _And why do you want to know about Captain Hook, my lady?" He asks me as he raises a thick brow._

" _The why isn't important. But what is important is the what… As in, what I will give you if you tell me what I want to know." I smile coyly and bat my eyelashes, praying he can't read past it to my disgust._

 _The captain grins and starts to laugh. "Well, with an offer like that coming from such a beautiful lady…" He stays silent for a moment and I'm almost tempted to smack him over the head for keeping me waiting. "I don't know much, but what I do know is that he's no longer in this world."_

" _What on earth do you mean?" I can feel my frustration growing. "Where the hell could he have gone?"_

" _I don't know. My sources weren't able to figure that out. What I do know is that he's looking for something and apparently it's very important to him." The Captain grins as if this is some type of ground shaking news. All I have learnt is that my father is no longer in this realm, if I'm even to believe this man. He could very well be lying to me. After all, it's not as though he has very good information. This could all be some big trick._

 _My frustration continues to grow when I notice the Captain getting up from his seat and walking around his desk to stand in front of me. "Is that all the information that you have?" I ask him, trying to keep my tone light. The more he thinks I'm just a little girl playing pirate, the better._

" _Unfortunately, darling, yes. But maybe with a little incentive I can find out some more?" He taps his lips with his finger and then of all things, scratches his crotch. It takes every ounce of self-control that I have not to roll my eyes._

" _Oh really? That would be so very helpful!" I widen my eyes and blink them several times, hoping it gives off the appearance of innocence. He grins and then lowers his head, his eyes already closing. I allow him to get close enough to my lips so that I can feel his breath and then I pull the dagger out from behind my back and stab him in the neck._

 _Blood coats my hand and wrist as it spurts from the large wound. With a sharp tug the dagger comes free and I simply stick it back into its sheath, smirking as the man before me falls to the floor, coughing and clutching at his throat. "Oh my dear Captain, didn't you know not to trust sweet little girls? We're usually the ones with the most venomous bite."_

" _B-Bitch…" He coughs, still clutching at his throat. Now the entire front of his body is soaked in blood and a pool of his blood is also forming on the floor where he lies. Calmly, I walk over to a coat rack in the corner of the room and put on my black cloak, ensuring it covers any blood that his crew might see. I'm sure they won't check on their Captain until morning and at that point it will be too late to find me because I'll be long gone._

 _I grab the drawing of my father off his desk and tuck it back into my boot. When I look up the light has faded from the Captain's eyes and I know that he is dead. I step over his body and walk out the door, not once do I look back._

 **A/N:** So now we see a darker side of Karina. I don't plan to do a lot of flashbacks that are this graphic, but I really wanted to show just how dark Karina was and still has the potential to be. Obviously she isn't this evil now in present day Storybrooke, but I want to make it clear that the potential is there, especially now with Pan starting to make an appearance in her life again. However, I will be writing more flashbacks to explain how she got so evil.

I've also decided that I will be skipping quite a few episodes since I have so many plans for the second half of season two and season three I kind of just want to jump into it.

And yes, I did name a captain after a brand of rum. For anyone who noticed that. But I'm terrible with names and thought it was kind of funny.

Anyways now that my little rant is done, please take a moment to review!


	5. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Four ~**

"To the dwarves!" David shouts and raises his pint of beer up in the air. Cheers fill Granny's diner, smiles on everyone's faces. They had just discovered diamonds in the mines, diamonds that can be turned into fairy dust. This can only mean that David will be able to bring his wife and daughter home.

My attention is pulled from the joyous celebration when I hear Ruby talking to a guy named Billy. She seems to be struggling with the right words to say. "Tonight's actually not great because…"

"Because we have plans." I walk up to her and hook my arm through hers. Billy looks away and appears to be uncomfortable.

"That's right! It's girl's night. I'm bringing the cheese… Which has nothing to do with you being a mouse!" Ruby exclaims, waving her arms as Billy starts to laugh. "It has to do with the wine."

"Ok, maybe next time." Billy shoves his hands in his pockets and starts to walk away.

I wait until he's gone before I turn to Ruby for an explanation. "So what was that? I mean, I'm happy to help out a girl when she's in trouble, but Billy's nice! And cute."

"Well it's uh, complicated." Ruby mutters, looking down.

"Does it have anything to do with you turning into a wolf every full moon?" Her head shoots up to stare at me, surprise etched on her face.

"H-How did you know?" She whispers as she looks around, checking to make sure no one else can hear our conversation.

"I remember Henry showing me all the stories from his book before the curse was broken. It wasn't hard to put two and two together. But don't worry, I promise your secret is safe with me." We smile at one another for a moment until Ruby pulls me in for a tight embrace.

"Thank you." She whispers in my ear. "But, uh, since you know, do you think you can help me with one teeny tiny favour?"

"Sure. What do you need help with?" After all, what else am I going to do after this? Go home and be terrified of finding something else left for me to discover?

"Help me clear out all the lasagna's out of the walk-in freezer?" She asks and I start to laugh because for a moment I think she's only joking. But then I see just how serious she looks and I realize she isn't kidding.

"Oh, you're serious?" She nods her head and I sigh. "Sure, why the hell not?" I follow her to the kitchen where Granny is already waiting with a welder's mask. "Um, would anyone care to share why exactly we are doing this?"

"It's the first full moon since the curse. I have no idea if I'll be able to stop myself from changing." Ruby explains as we start taking the lasagna's out of the freezer. "I used to have a red cloak I would wear that would keep me from changing, but I can't find it. I don't think it came over with the curse."

With everything cleared out Ruby steps inside and turns to face us, a grim look on her face. "It'll all be fine. I know you, you won't kill anyone. See you on the other side." I try to give her some last minute words of encouragement before Granny closes the door, latching it and locking it. "So how long do you have to leave her in there?"

"Just until morning." Granny replies.

"Well then, I'll be back in the morning." Granny smiles at me and nods her head before we part ways for the evening. I reluctantly head back to my apartment, though it thankfully seems to be untouched since the time I left.

Unfortunately, the peace in my apartment is unable to keep the nightmare away.

….

" _You're such a little brat, Karina." Mama snarls as she picks up all the clothes I had thrown on the floor. Papa had told me to have fun below deck as there was a storm brewing. I had decided to play dress up and then have a tea party. Mama didn't like that._

" _Sorry Mama…" I mumble, clutching my hands to my chest. She had come in with one of papa's belts and had slapped my hands with them. That's how she punishes me. She likes to take papa's belts and hit me with them, but she always reminds me never to tell papa. She told me that papa would make sure I got an even worse punishment if he knew I was bad. She says he only sees me when I'm good so he seems like the nicer one, but mama is raising me right so sometimes she has to be mean._

"' _Sorry mama!'" She mimics, her face contorting into a funny shape as she does this. "Don't you have anything else to say?" Tears well up in my eyes and I quickly look away, hoping she didn't see them. But of course she did. "Oh stop with the theatrics."_

" _I only wanted to play. I thought I could dress up and we could have a tea party." I mumble as I wipe at my cheeks angrily. Mama always says that crying is weakness._

" _Well you thought wrong." She grumbles as she continues to pick up the clothes, shoving them back into the chest I had pulled them out of. "I honestly don't understand why your father dotes on you so much; you're nothing but a brat."_

 _I sniffle and once again try to wipe the tears off my cheeks. "Would you like help to clean it up?" I offer hoping that this will make her less angry. Maybe if she sees how much I want to make it up to her she won't be so angry._

" _No! I don't need your help. Go to your room." She scolds me and waves her arms, shooing me away. Immediately I turn on my heels and race from the room she shares with papa. I know better than to stick around and protest._

…

My alarm going off early the next morning startles me awake. I quickly jump out of bed and distance myself from it, as if it might pull me back in for another nightmare about my mother. She was a horrible woman, but she didn't always hate me. Her hatred only started when my father started to treat me better than he treated her. I think it was mostly because she was a miserable woman and so he stopped loving her, but she couldn't see that. Instead she chose to blame me because she thought I was stealing him away.

My entire body trembling I make my way to the kitchen to brew myself some coffee. I hate the taste of it, but it's ironically the only thing that can calm me down after a night full of nightmares. I suppose the bitter taste wakes me up and brings me back to reality.

As the coffee brews I quickly go about my morning routine of getting ready. I have a shower, put on makeup and get dressed before I start to tidy up my apartment. Then when it's almost time to meet Granny back at her diner I pour my coffee into a travel mug, grab my bag and walk out the door, locking it behind me.

It's a beautiful morning with the sun shining and I can't help but hope it isn't ruined by Ruby having gone on a massacre. Despite my reassurances to her yesterday, a part of me wonders if she really did break free and kill people last night. I didn't hear any wolf howls, but then again I was so trapped in my nightmare that I doubt I would've heard anything.

I get to Granny's to find her and David staring the opened freezer door that had practically been ripped off its hinges. All sorts of scratch marks are etched into the walls, along with a little bit of blood. "Well shit." I say, catching the attention of David and Granny who had been talking amongst themselves. "Guess this morning is about to get a whole lot bloodier."

"She may not have killed anyone." David says to me.

"Oh I hope not, otherwise the town is going to freak out and a wolf hunt will be underway." Granny and David look at one another nervously.

"Let's go, my sense of smell may not be as good as it used to be, but I sure as hell can still track down my own granddaughter." She hurries past me, grabbing her cross bow which is hanging on the wall as she goes. David and I quickly follow after her.

Granny leads us into the woods and we find Ruby not too far out, lying underneath a makeshift roof, made out of twigs. Thankfully, she is human with no blood on her. "Ruby! Oh my God!" I shout as I rush forward and help her get to her feet.

"Where am I?" She asks groggily, looking around as she tries to take in her surroundings.

"The woods. You must have fallen asleep here last night." David says to her, holding onto her other arm as he too helps her get to her feet.

"Wait, I don't understand, you locked me in that cage!" Ruby exclaims, her panic setting in.

"The freezer was torn to shreds when I came to check up on you this morning." Granny tries to tell her in a soothing tone, but it doesn't seem to work as Ruby starts to panic even more.

David tries his best to comfort her when suddenly his phone starts to ring. "What is it?" Ruby asks immediately.

"Somebody left their car double parked in front of the cannery. I have to go check it out on our way back into town… Hey, relax. Everything's going to be ok." He places his hand on her shoulder as Granny and I nod our heads in agreement.

The four of us head back to David's car and he drives into town, towards the cannery. "That's Billy's truck." Ruby says once we arrive.

"Great. Who do I call to tow a tow truck?" David mutters when he notices Ruby standing completely still. "Ruby? What's wrong?"

"I smell blood." Her and Granny start to walk around the truck, trying to find the source of the smell.

"Oh fantastic. Blood. Just what we all need." I grumble just as David shoots me a look.

"Where's Billy?" David asks to no one in particular.

"Here." Granny replies, looking sick. David and I walk around to the front of the truck to see half of Billy's body, blood all over the ground.

"Oh no, poor Billy." I mumble, biting my lip. Suddenly a horrible shriek fills the air with gut wrenching sobs following after it. The three of us find Ruby standing near the other half of Billy's body, thrown haphazardly into a dumpster.

"It was the wolf!" She cries. "It was me!" I rush to her side and wrap my arms around her. She grabs onto me for support as she continues to sob hysterically.

"This had to have been someone else." I say, hoping that my words will reassure her.

"No, this was me! I killed him." Ruby cries.

"No, I refuse to believe that. Before, when Mary Margaret was accused of murder, I didn't believe in her. I'm not going to make that same mistake with you." David shouts, his frustration growing.

"Mary Margaret didn't kill anyone, I have!" Ruby insists as tears run down her face. I look around and notice a crowd is forming. Ruby's screams must have brought them all here to investigate.

"I know who you are, Ruby, even if you've lost sight of it." David says convincingly.

"It doesn't change the fact that I am going to turn again and somebody else could get hurt."

"Uh, guys… Maybe this isn't the best place to be having this conversation?" I mutter as the crowd notices the blood and starts to whisper.

"I got this." David turns to face the crowd when Ruby yells out to stop him.

"Lock me up. If a freezer can't hold me, maybe a jail cell will. I don't need to be protected from people; they need to be protected from me." Granny wraps her arm around Ruby as well and together the two of us lead her away from the prying eyes of the growing crowd.

…

"The only way we're going to get the mob to stand down is if we prove Ruby had nothing to do with Billy's death." David tells Granny, Ruby, Belle and I. After having many failed attempts of keeping Ruby safe and away from people, we have been chased to the library where Ruby now stands chained to a pipe.

King George, an old enemy of David's, is leading a hunting party against Ruby. Though I'm sure his intentions for it is for a less honorable reason than keeping the town safe like he says.

"How do you expect to do that? George has whipped everyone into a frenzy, they won't stop until they have blood." I say to David and cross my arms over my chest.

"No, they're not bloodthirsty people by nature; I know we can make them see reason." David disagrees. "And I'm going to need yours and Granny's help to do it." He gestures for us to follow him out of the room when he turns to Belle. "If the mob heads this way, call us."

"So what exactly is your plan?" I ask David as we leave the library.

"I'm going to prove that Ruby is innocent." David replies. "We're going to use Billy's uniform for Granny to get the scent of his real killer and then we'll track them down."

"Hm, seems simple enough. Let's just hope it actually is." David hands Granny the uniform and she puts it to her nose, sniffing the material.

"This way." Her tone of voice leaves no room for argument. David and I follow her a few blocks when we come to an old black car, parked on the side of the road. "The trunk." David uses some type of lock picker to open the trunk and reveals a blood axe sitting on top of a red cloak. "Ruby's hood!" Granny says gratefully as she picks it up and clutches it to her chest.

"Whoever the real murderer is, they took Ruby's cloak so she'd have no choice but to turn back into a wolf so they could pin the murder on her." David tells us.

"Who would want to hurt my Ruby?" Granny's voice takes on a dangerous tone. As she says this, I grab a crowbar from the trunk and I smash the driver's side window.

"Karina!" David scolds.

"What? We need answers and you're the sheriff so you can't do it. I'm just a delinquent!" I grin cheekily before I get back to business. I rip open the door and check the glove box, finding the car's insurance. "Hm, looks like this is more about the prince than it is Ruby." I wave the insurance papers in front of David's face and watch as his eyes narrow angrily.

"George. He needed a reason to wrestle power away from me so he created one." David sighs and looks like he is about to say more when suddenly we hear a howl in the distance.

"She's out!" Granny exclaims.

"The mob will kill her!" I shriek and rush to follow David and Granny down the street. Granny uses her superior senses to track her down and we find her, surrounded by the mob. George raises a gun to shoot at Ruby when Granny uses her crossbow to knock it out of his hand.

The impact creates an explosion that shocks both the crowd and Ruby. Cries of dismay arise from the group of angry townspeople. "The next one goes between your eyes!" Granny threatens George who seems shocked by her sudden appearance and harsh behaviour.

"Ruby!" David shouts as he and I push our way through the crowd. I take the cloak from David as he starts to give the people a speech, revealing the true murderer and trying to urge the people to remain calm.

Meanwhile I slowly approach my friend, my heart pounding in my chest. "Ruby? I know you're in there, so I need you to listen to me… It was George, not you, who murdered Billy. Don't let him trick you into thinking you're a monster." Ruby growls and hunches down into an attacking stance. I jump back a few steps and raise my arms in surrender. "Ok, poor choice of words, sorry. Please… Ruby, let me help you. I know that you can control the wolf, you are strong." It has grown quiet behind me and I know that David and the rest of them are watching me slowly approach Ruby, waiting to see what's going to happen next.

I extend my arm so close to her that I can feel her hot breath on my palm. Then, I slowly get down onto my knees, the cloak still clutched tightly in my other hand. "Ruby, please… It's me. Karina." As if those words flipped some sort of switch deep inside her, the growling stops and Ruby sits back on her hind legs, watching and waiting. She bows her head and I know that my friend is back. Quickly I get up and throw the cloak over her shoulders.

Before my eyes she transforms back into a human, a timid smile on her lips. At the same time we reach out for one another and wrap each other in an embrace. "You saved me." She whispers in my ear.

"No, you saved yourself, I just reminded you of what you already knew." I smile into her hair and she laughs, hugging me tighter. Our moment is interrupted when we hear shouting from the mob again. I look over and see both David and Granny on the ground.

"What happened?" Ruby asks as we each help them up.

"He's gone. We have to go after him!" David shouts and rushes to the sheriff's car. Ruby chases after him, however I stay behind with Granny to help with crowd control.

"Alright people!" I shout over the murmurs of the crowd. "It's time for everyone to put the pitchforks away before you all start poking eyes out, extinguish those torches, and go home to think about what you've done. That's right; you're all terrible people, welcome to the club."

"Karina." Granny chastises me, trying hard to look annoyed.

"What?" I giggle and she shakes her head. The crowd begins to break apart, people moving in different directions. Some abandon the weapons they had chosen while others try to blow out their torches.

My phone beeps with a text from Ruby telling me that she left Belle chained up in the library and asking me to go release her. I throw my head back and start to laugh. "What is it?" Granny asks me.

"I gotta go free Belle. Poor girl." I shake my head and begin to head towards the library, laughing the entire way.

 **A/N:** Another chapter done, not a very eventful one as far as plot lines go, but it was a nice relationship building chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it.

Please take a moment to review!


	6. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Five ~**

I am sitting on my floor staring at the ring that belonged to my father when I get a call from Regina. "Karina, I need you to come look after Henry for a while. We're at Gold's shop." Her tone is brisk and leaves no room for argument, as always. During the curse I had watched Henry many times so her calling me out of the blue with a request to watch him was nothing out of the ordinary. I had actually grown to really like the kid during my time watching him and I now think of him like a little brother.

"Sure, I'll be right there." I'm already getting up, tucking the ring in my pocket and grabbing my bag. "Is everything ok?" I use my shoulder to hold my phone to my ear as I lock the door behind me.

"Not really. David is under a sleeping curse and my mother is threatening to come to Storybrooke, I would say that things are very far from ok." I stop walking halfway down the hall, frozen by shock.

"Um… How much did I miss in like, a day?" I exclaim and Regina sighs.

"Just get here." With that said she hangs up the phone, leaving me listening to the dial tone. I roll my eyes and shove my phone back in my pocket as I make my way to Gold's shop.

It doesn't take me long to get there and when I arrive Henry is reading a story about his grandparents to his comatose grandfather. "Hey kid…" I say as I drop my bag and move next to David's side to inspect his resting form. "Reading the story about your grandpa waking up your grandma?"

"Yea… I figured even if there's a chance he can't hear me, I might as well try and give him some company." Henry looks down at the pictures on the book, tracing the edges of the pages with his thumb.

"Well, I'm sure he appreciates it." I smile at him and he smiles back as Regina enters the room.

"I need you two to stay here and watch David for a little while. Mr. Gold and I need to prepare for Emma and Mary Margaret's return. Coming through the portal won't be easy; we need to make sure everything is in place." Regina places her hand on her son's knee and smiles gently.

"Really? You're really going to help them?" Henry asks, looking bewildered. Not surprising since Regina helping Emma and Mary Margaret is rather out of character. But then again, Henry does bring out the best in her; perhaps she really is trying to do good for him.

"I promised you I was going to do better, to be better. So yes, I promise I am going to do everything in my power to bring them home safely." I shoot her a surprised look but she seems intent on only looking at Henry.

"Wow, you really have changed." Henry grins and Regina gives him her own, small smile. She seems uncomfortable with the conversation because she quickly gets up and starts to walk out of the room.

"I will be back as soon as I can." She turns on her heel and leaves the room without looking back.

I turn to look at Henry who is still watching the door that Regina just vacated. "Come on, let's keep reading to David." Henry smiles up at me and then turns back to his reading. I sit down next to him and listen to the words, allowing them to lull me into my own memories.

…

" _You're sure that this will work?" I snarl as I hold the red amulet up to my face, inspecting the ruby in the center, encompassed by a gold casing. It hangs on a long, golden chain and I know that even without the protection spell woven into it, it won't be cheap._

 _I lower the amulet and glare at the old woman as she starts to chuckle. "You young people are far too worried these days. Yes, it will work. Not even the magic of the Dark One can break this spell, it's binding. And as long as you wear it around your neck it will protect you from being detected by any sort of magic."_

" _It's not the Dark One I'm worried about." I mutter more to myself than to her. However my words intrigue her if her eyebrows shooting up into her receding hairline is any indication._

" _Oh? Then who could have you so afraid?" She asks as she sets her withered frame down into a large, wooden chair._

" _I am not afraid." I snarl, taking a few menacing steps forwards. "Don't you dare say that."_

" _Oh, silly me. Only those willing to pay that much money for that powerful of a protection spell are afraid. Not to mention… I can see it in your eyes." She smirks knowingly._

 _Hearing enough I take a few more steps forward until I am right in front of her. I reach out and grab onto her throat, effectively cutting off her airways. "Don't try to understand something that you can't. You don't know me and you don't know what I need this amulet for."_

 _Her dark eyes turn deadly when she raises her hand and a sudden pain goes through my head. I release her and step back, clutching at my head and screaming. "Don't you threaten me, little girl. I may look like an old woman, but I can assure you that I am more powerful than I seem." She gets to her feet and points her finger at me, looking as though she is going to cast another spell on me._

 _Fortunately, she only makes the pain stop and I gasp, relieved to find the pain has disappeared. I stare at her with wide eyes, shocked by the power I didn't know she possessed. I had assumed she was some low-level witch, finding powerful objects and selling them as her own._

 _I pull the pouch full of gold out of my pocket and throw it down in front of her. She picks it up and peers inside, smirking wickedly when she sees the amount. "It was a pleasure doing business with you." I nod my head and quickly turn to leave the hut. She stops me just as I reach the door. "Oh, and if I were you… I wouldn't take it off for anything. The moment that charm leaves your skin, they will find you and judging by the terror I see in your eyes… I don't think you'll be alive long after that."_

 _With those chilling words I step out into the cool night and place the amulet around my neck. It glows bright red for a few moments before it stops and I know that the spell has worked. I am now hidden from all magic and because of this I have broken my deal, but now it will give me more time to do what I have to._

… _.._

Ruby and the dwarves storming into the back room of Gold's shop pull me from my thoughts. "Where are they? Regina and Gold?" She asks as the dwarves start to look around the shop.

"What's going on?" I ask as I get to my feet.

"All the fairy dust in the mines, it's gone." Ruby tells me, her face set into a hard mask.

"They stole it?" Henry asks, disbelief colouring his tone.

"They snuck in after our shift and stole everything. Nobody steals from a dwarf!" Leroy growls and shoves his hands in his pockets.

"Except the Queen…" Doc mutters, looking down at his feet.

"And Rumplestiltskin." Happy adds, smiling until he notices Leroy giving him a dirty look.

"If… They're not helping Emma and Mary Margaret that means my mom lied to me." Henry mumbles, looking dejected.

"I'm sorry Henry." I say and lean down in front of him. I grab his hands in both of mine and try to smile at him reassuringly, hoping that this small gesture will bring him some sort of comfort.

"We need to find them. We need to stop them. We need to help Emma and Mary Margaret!" Henry orders, his sadness is gone off his face, leaving only confidence and determination. I look back at Ruby and the dwarves who are all nodding their heads, looking equally determined.

"Someone's going to have to stay here and watch David, just in case. Ruby, you'll come with Henry and me. I'm not sure what good the three of us will do against the Evil Queen and the Dark One, but we have to at least try." The dwarves agree to stay with David, accepting my role as the temporary leader of the group. With that being resolved Henry, Ruby and I rush out of the shop, heading towards the woods which contain the portal.

"If they're going to be anywhere, it's going to be that portal. That's where they're going to come through!" Henry shouts as the three of us rush to the well that has been hidden between the trees since the curse.

We reach the well to find Regina and Gold standing in front of it, a green cloud swirling inside of the well. The sinister feel in the air runs chills down my spine.

"Mom?" Henry asks, his eyes wide. Regina spins around to see him and she looks sick to her stomach. I know that although she is doing something wrong, she truly believes she is doing it to save Henry, which is all that matters to her. "You're not really helping Emma and Mary Margaret are you?"

"I'm helping you." She cries beseechingly, leaning down so she is closer to his level.

"You're going to kill them." I snarl as Ruby and I rush forward.

"Sorry dearies." Gold raises his hand and a blast of magic knocks us back. I hit my head and everything goes dark.

…

" _Captain! What is that smoke?" Drake, my leftenant, shouts over the howling wind. He comes to stand next to me, handing me a microscope. I look through it to see a dark purple cloud heading this way. It seems to be covering the entire land as it goes, leaving nothing behind._

" _I don't know… But I don't like the look of it." I mutter, handing him back to microscope. "Men! We need to turn this ship around!" I shout and the men immediately get to work, barking orders at one another. "Take the wheel, Drake." I tell him and nods. I rush to the bow of the ship and I no longer need the microscope to see the purple cloud as it is gaining on us quickly._

 _Panic consumes me and I turn back to help my men, grabbing the rope to pull out one of the sails. "Captain!" Drake shouts moments before the ships hits something, sending all of us flying off our feet. I land on my stomach and hit my chin. Water crashes over onto the ship, soaking myself and my crew members._

 _I jump to my feet and help others get to their feet as well. "What the hell did we hit?" I demand, looking over the edge. Nothing but dark waters stares back at me and I know that some type of magic is working against it. Whatever it is, it is keeping us from running. It wants us to get caught up in the smoke._

" _I'd rather drown than face the unknown of that cloud of smoke!" One of my crew members shouts before he runs and jumps over the edge, screaming as he falls down._

" _No!" I shout and then I notice more people are following his lead. "Stop it, you fools!" I try to grab one man, but he elbows me in the chest and I fall back. Drake grabs me and helps me up, glaring at the idiots._

" _Cowards, every single one of them." His dark eyes scan what is left of our crew, everyone looking to me as their captain for another order. Only, I can't think of one. The cloud is almost upon us and we're trapped in the middle of the ocean with nowhere to run._

 _The ship shudders again, knocking everyone off their feet again, this time when I fall the chain around my neck breaks and the amulet comes free, skidding across the wooden floor, out of my reach. I can see it glowing so bright it's like a beacon in the dark night, and then I see it crack and shatter, leaving no trace that it had ever existed._ No! _I think because I know that now I am truly doomed._

 _That's when the cloud overtakes the ship, forcing me to surrender into unconsciousness._

…

I start to come to just as Emma and Mary Margaret climb out of the well. Whatever Henry had said while I was unconscious must have worked because now Regina hugs the tree in near tears, looking surprised to see Emma and Mary Margaret who has climbed out of what used to be an impenetrable wall of dark magic.

I hear Ruby groan and look over to see that she is just waking up. When she sees Mary Margaret and Emma she jumps to her feet, a huge grin on her face. She rushes over to them and hugs Mary Margaret. I follow behind her and hug Emma. "Are you ok?" Ruby asks them.

"Where's my husband?" Mary Margaret asks, clutching Ruby tightly and looking panicked. "I need to find him!"

"Uh huh." Ruby agrees and pats Emma on the shoulder, smiling at her before she takes Mary Margaret's hand and leads her away.

"Your mom… She's, uh, she's a piece of work, you know?" Emma says to Regina who smiles, though it is one without humor.

"Indeed I do… Welcome back." She replies, looking at Henry with a pained expression.

"Thanks." Emma starts to hug Henry tighter before she looks at me. "Karina… Your father, he's looking for you."

Her words stop me short in my place. "W-What?" I suddenly find it very hard to breathe. "H-He's alive?"

"You didn't know?" She seems surprised by my response.

"Well, I mean, I always assumed, but I never really knew for sure…" I trail off, feeling unsure. "You are absolutely sure that it was him?"

"Oh yea, he talked about you enough. He said that he's been trying to get back to you for a while. He knows that you're here and that he misses you. He was working with Cora to get here." Emma tells me as she studies my response.

I bark out a loud laugh, one that has no humor in it whatsoever. "He would say that he misses me." I mutter coldly.

"I'm guessing you two have more issues than he let on." Emma observes.

"What did he say our issues were?" I'm interested to hear what his excuses are.

"Just that he didn't know you were alive until recently, that he made some mistakes and that he wants to find you." Emma replies, still clutching tightly onto Henry.

I don't say anything to those words; only give her a tight lipped smile before I start to walk away. I can feel anger seeping into me and all I want to do is go hit something. My rage continues to build and build until I start to run. I run so far and so fast I have no idea where I'm going or what I plan to do when I get there. All I know is that I need to get away.

My running finally comes to an end when I feel like my lungs can't take it anymore. I collapse to my knees and release the most gut wrenching scream I can muster. I lean forward until my head is on the ground and my hands are making fists in the dirt. Sobs wrack my entire body as I release all the tension and anger that I've held inside of me for so long.

Now, because I know that my father really is alive that truly means that the one thing I feared the most is real… My father really did abandon me all those years. The one person that I thought would always be there for me left me. I am truly a lost girl, an orphan.

I stay there on the cold forest floor for God knows how long. I stopped crying shortly after I began, but I stay in that same position, curled over with my arms wrapped around my abdomen. My mind is a whirlwind of thoughts, thinking about my mother and father, Gail and Leif, all those boys and girls at the village who picked on me and… Him.

Even now I can't bring myself to say it. Even after I have once again accepted who I am, who he convinced me that I am, I still can't say his name. He practically turned me into who I am now, and yet I feel as though if I say his name, everything will fall down around me, more than it already has.

When I first got taken by Rumplestiltskin I refused to believe that I was an orphan. I believed my father would rescue me and everything would be ok. But it didn't happen. From there, my life only got worse until I found a new family. But then I lost them too. Now, I am once again alone, faced with the thought that I am soon going to have to confront my past.

I've tried desperately to run from my problems for a very long time and now it seems as though they are all catching up to me all at once. Soon, I will have no choice but to deal with them all.

When it starts to get dark I finally decide to head back. I have no light and my phone is dead so I can't use the flashlight. I simply stumble around in the dark, hoping I'll eventually stumble across familiar ground. I try to retrace my steps, but I find that it's nearly impossible when it's this dark.

"Well shit." I mumble when I finally accept that I am truly lost. I find a large boulder and sit down on it, placing my chin in my hands. I have no idea how long it will take until someone notices I'm missing. I don't have a shift at Granny's for another few days, but maybe someone will notice I'm missing before then.

As I sit contemplating my options a large orb of light appears in front of me. I shriek and fall back, landing on my back on the other side of the boulder. "Ow…" I open my eyes to see the ball of light hovering above my head. Then it starts to float off, heading in some random direction. I feel compelled to follow it so I jump to my feet and scurry after it. It moves quickly and I almost have to run to keep up with it.

Eventually, after what seems like forever, the orb of light breaks through the trees and reaches the main road heading back to Storybrooke. As soon as I also break through the trees it disappears. I look around, completely shocked that somehow someone knew I was in trouble and sent me help.

I shake my head and laugh as I set out down the road, heading back into town.

 **A/N:** Please take a moment to review!


	7. Chapter Six

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Six ~**

The welcome back party at Granny's is in full swing, everyone smiling and drinking as we listen to Emma and Mary Margaret tell us about their time back in the Enchanted Forest. David had just finished making a speech when the door opens, revealing Regina holding a casserole dish full of lasagna. "Sorry I'm late." She says as she walks in and notices that everyone is staring at her with dumbfounded expressions.

"What's she doing here?" Leroy grumbles and grabs a knife off of the counter. Immediately I take it from him and shoot him a dirty look before I take that knife and the rest of them and push them out of Leroy's drunken hands.

"I invited her." Emma replies, giving Leroy a look that says she also doesn't appreciate him grabbing a knife to threaten Regina.

Emma's parents pull her aside to talk while everyone else starts to mingle again, only this time they do so more awkwardly. The laughter has gone down a lot and everyone seems uncomfortable with having Regina here. Personally, I find it hilarious that they are so willing to accept me amongst their group, because although I may not be as bad as Regina I am certainly no hero. However, they want to banish Regina from everything they do. Clearly they have no idea who I really was before the curse hit, otherwise I feel like their reactions would be a lot different.

On that note, I decide to walk over to Regina and welcome her because I've never had a problem with her and quite frankly I kind of like her. She does care about Henry and she is a lot like me, someone who became evil because of situations in their past. Unfortunately, you can't always help that. Sometimes you are a victim to your own destiny.

"Hey, you brought your famous lasagna?" I smile at her and then at Henry who smiles back at me, taking a piece of his mother's lasagna.

"Yes, would you like a piece?" She asks, already putting it on a plate, eager to give some away.

"Oh you know me; I never turn down food, especially lasagna." She smiles and hands me the plate, happy that someone is willing to try some. That's when Leroy walks up and starts taking some other food, but pointedly ignores Regina's lasagna. "Hey Leroy, why don't you try some lasagna? It's really good." I wave the plate in front of his face as if that'll prove my point.

"Yea? What's the secret ingredient? Poison?" Leroy grumbles, still angry with me for taking his knife away. I roll my eyes at his antics.

"Actually the secret ingredient is red pepper flakes, it gives it some kick." Regina gives him the nastiest smile she dares as she hands the plate to him. He takes it and sniffs it before carrying it off with the rest of his food.

"I'm glad you came." Henry tells his mom and she smiles down at him, pleased.

"So am I." She says and then looks up at me and smiles at me as well. I decide to give her some time with her son so I walk off and start to talk to Ruby, while I join the rest of the party.

It isn't until later that I see Regina sitting at the table alone, no one to talk to. She looks around at everybody, looking a little lost. I head over to her table and sit down across from her. "They'll come around eventually."

"I'm sorry?" She asks, looking surprised.

"Mary Margaret, David, the dwarves… Everybody else. They'll all come to accept you eventually. Right now they're all a little shocked, but they can at least see you're trying to change. After all those years of being on opposite sides of the war it's a little hard for them to believe… But Henry believes in you, so does Emma and so do I. Eventually, they will start to believe in you as well."

"Thank you. I'm doing this for Henry, so I hope that he does see how hard I am trying." Regina replies.

"He does! And you know, I think he understands why you became the villain." Regina raises an eyebrow at this. "You're a lot like me, you had situations you couldn't control the made your heart go cold, but now you're trying to make it better. To be honest, that takes a lot of courage to step up and admit it, and say that you are trying to change."

"Who were you back in our land?" She asks me, staring at me suspiciously.

I grin because this is the first time anyone has asked me that. I think everyone just assumed I was a good guy. "You mean you don't know? Majesty who created the curse? I figured you knew who everyone was that you brought here."

"No, I was able to bring specific people, but the curse mostly brought everyone who lived in the Enchanted Forest. You're not even in Henry's book; I don't even think he had any theories as to who you were before the curse broke." She keeps her voice low and I suspect she's doing so because she doesn't want anyone else to know who I really am either.

"I was many things… A pirate, an orphan… A murderer and a villain." I look up at her to see her staring at me in surprise. "I was no saint and I'm sure if you pulled my heart out right now and looked at it, there wouldn't be much light left in it."

"And yet you don't act like a villain here." She says, her tone calculating as she inspects me.

"Well I'm like you, trying to do better. Although I don't have anyone to be better for, so maybe I'm just doing it in hopes that all my past sins won't catch up with me." I smile sadly at her and notice the acceptance in her eyes. It's at that moment that I know Regina and I have formed a friendship that will last for a very long time. We understand each other better than anyone can hope to.

"Thank you, Karina." She smiles and I grab onto her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Any time." I get up and head over to talk to Henry when Regina also gets up and heads to the door. Emma quickly follows her out and I manage to convince Henry to help me with the cake. Not that he needed much convincing, especially if he can get the first slice for helping.

Once the party starts to wind down I decide to head home. I have an early shift at Granny's in the morning and figured I should get some sleep. I say goodbye to everyone and give Henry a big hug before I walk out the door and start my way down the street to my apartment. I hate the silence when walking so I pull out my iPod and start listening to music, dancing my way down the street.

I'm softly singing along to it as I get to the apartment's main door. I pull out my many keys and start searching for the right one. It doesn't take me long to find them and get inside when I feel like someone is watching me. I turn around and peer through the glass door, out into the darkness. I don't see anyone but that creepy feeling doesn't go away. Quickly I head to my apartment, eager to hide in its safety.

…...

I'm working at Granny's the next day when we hear a dog barking outside the door. Ruby runs out and I follow her, surprised by her change in attitude. "Emma! Something's wrong." She tells the blonde sheriff who is standing outside with her son.

"How do you know… Oh, right, the wolf thing." Emma mutters as Ruby grabs onto the Dalmatian's face and inspects him very closely.

Pongo rushes off across the street so Emma and Ruby chase him. "That's cool, I'll cover you… Again." I call after Ruby. I roll my eyes and head back into the diner.

Ruby comes back after a couple minutes, looking sick to her stomach. Immediately I go over to her, looking at her questioningly. "Archie's dead." She whispers, tears in her eyes.

"W-What? That's… No. What?" I stutter, completely shocked.

"Regina killed him." She crosses her arms over her chest, her face hard.

"Why would she? She's been trying to change for Henry. This would just ruin all her progress. It has to be something else." I notice one of our regular customers waving his empty coffee cup in the air at me, an annoyed look on his face. I ignore him and turn back to Ruby.

"I saw her go in last night, and earlier they had a fight on the pier. She had every motive; I bet she just didn't think she would get caught." Ruby mutters, the customer behind her is still waving his coffee cup, now clearing his throat as well. I wave my hand at him and give him a dirty look.

"No, it's way too easy, if she did kill Archie she wouldn't have been caught. There's no way she'd risk her relationship with Henry like that." I try to think of who else could possibly want Archie dead. Unfortunately this town doesn't have a lot of villains capable of murder. "Maybe it was Gold? Or some other super bad, super scary villain we don't know about?" _It sure as hell wasn't me._

"It had to be Regina." Ruby argues, her lips pursed indicating to me that there will be no changing her mind.

"Excuse me!" The man says angrily, glaring at me with his cup still in the air.

Before I can help myself my anger gets the best of me, "Oh would you shut it you stupid old man! You'll get your damn coffee right away when I force it down your throat!" Ruby and the rest of the diners stare at me with wide eyed shock. No one has seen me lose my cool like that yet, but I've kind of been having a bad week.

"Karina!" Granny scolds and I wince as I turn to look at her. If there's one person in this town who can make me feel bad about myself, it's Granny. She's such a sweet woman, but when she's disappointed in you it hurts really badly. "Why don't you take the rest of the day off?"

"But I…" I trail off when I notice by the look on her face that it will be pointless to argue. I close my eyes and turn on my heels to walk out the door; I notice that customer is smiling smugly at me. He's always been a rude old man, never says please or thank you, super picky about his food and never leaves a tip. Ruby and I have always hated him.

A thought comes to mind, one that could very easily get me fired if Granny doesn't decide to do it already. And yet, the idea of showing this man a little karma is a compelling thought. With my mind made up I walk over to him and pick up the syrup that is sitting on the table and pour it into his lap.

Quiet gasps fill the room as the man stares at me in shock and anger. "You… You… You!" His face goes red as he stutters over his words and tries to find the right thing to say.

"Yea, yea, I know, I'm a bitch!" Sighing heavily I walk out of Granny's and storm down the street. My plan is to go home and change out of this ridiculous red and white uniform, then I am going to get my sword and go into the woods so I can start hacking up some poor defenseless trees.

Shortly after leaving Granny's in a rage I arrive at the woods with my sword in hand. I unsheathe the sword and throw the sheath onto the ground; I swing the sword a few times back and forth to get the feel of the weight. It's been a while since I had to fight with a sword, twenty-eight years to be exact. I'm afraid I might be a little rusty.

Never one to let anything stop me I swing the sword and it hits the tree once. I reach back and hit it again and again and again until the tree is mutilated and my sword is ruined. I release a long heavy sigh as I stick the sword in the ground, disappointed in myself for letting my anger get the best of me and therefore ruining my sword.

"Karina!" A voice calling my name startles me from my thoughts. I spin around to see Ruby running towards me. "It's a good thing I'm a werewolf or I don't think I ever would have found you… What on earth happened to that poor tree?"

"Me." I mutter, eyeing the tree and my sword distastefully. "Are you here to tell me I'm fired?"

"No, quite the opposite, actually. Granny isn't mad; she actually thought it was funny. The only reason she told you to go home was to keep up a good appearance. She doesn't want to start losing business because people think she lets her staff get away with attacking the customers." Ruby smirks devilishly as she moves around me to inspect the tree. "You like to attack things when you get angry, huh?"

"I did not attack that man! This tree, yes, maybe. But the man was asking for it." I grumble and cross my arms over me chest. "I just taught him a very good lesson as to why you shouldn't be rude to people."

"Uh huh, sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night!" Ruby sings. "If it's worth anything, I would've done the exact same thing, but you beat me to it."

"And this is why we're friends." I laugh. "We're too much alike, though I think that might not be a good thing for other people."

"Nah, only if they're rude people." Ruby waves her hand and makes a funny face causing me to laugh. "Anyways, besides coming here to tell you that Granny isn't mad, which by the way she expects you there for your next shift… Mary Margaret just told me there's going to be a funeral for Archie tomorrow morning. You'll come right?"

"Of course I'll come… But uh, my next shift is tomorrow so…" I give Ruby a pleading look, biting my lip and raising my arms in a "what are you going to do?" gesture.

She laughs. "I'll talk to Granny, get her to give it to someone else." She starts to walk backwards, back towards town. "Have fun hacking up more trees!"

"Oh, I will!"

….

"Some of us knew him as Archie, others, as Jiminy. And although he may be gone he will always live on inside of us, reminding us to be our best selves and to do the right thing and to fight for what we believe in. So we shouldn't think of today as goodbye, just as a way of saying 'Archie, we'll be listening.'" Mary Margaret finishes her speech and everyone starts to hug. Marco heads over to the tombstone and puts down Archie's umbrella before saying a few of his own words to his fallen friend.

Afterwards, the funeral starts to wrap up and everyone slowly heads back to their cars. Granny walks up to me and hugs me tightly. "I'm sorry about yesterday." She whispers in my ear.

"All is forgiven. Seriously, don't worry about it." I smile at her reassuringly, though she still appears to be a little bit worried that I am angry. "I'm just glad I still have a job."

She laughs quietly, "Always, Karina. You know that. You've become like a second grandchild to me." She cups my face for a moment, smiling warmly as she hooks her arm with mine and we walk off together towards the car. Everyone had decided we would go to Mary Margaret's apartment to have the reception so we can all sit and remember Archie.

When we're there Leroy brings up a good point, "Ladies, the dwarves have been thinking and we have to ask… When do we go back?" He looks uncomfortable to even bring up this question as he shoves his hands in his pockets.

"Back? Where?" Emma asks and shares a confused look with her mother.

"The Enchanted Forest."

"You want to go back?" Mary Margaret remarks.

"We fought really hard to get here…" Emma says.

"Yea, but with what Regina did to Archie, Storybrooke ain't as safe as we thought. And you know, it's not just her either, the curse is broken. There's a whole world beyond the town line that don't know who or what we are, ever think what would happen if someone were to come pay us a visit?" Leroy's tone gets darker by the end of his little rant. Everyone starts to shoot worried looks at one another.

"He's right." Ruby speaks up. "What if they see magic? Like a girl turning into a wolf for example… Folks weren't exactly accepting of that back in our world."

"Ok, let's not worry about 'what if's', no one is here." Emma tries her best to comfort everyone, using a voice that is filled with authority and confidence.

"Yet." Leroy grumbles. "Maybe they come, maybe they don't. But that doesn't change the fact that while we might enjoy things like penicillin, we're a bit homesick." His words catch everyone's attention, even Henry who had been sitting his room away from everyone.

With those words resting heavily on everyone I decide it's time for me to leave. I whisper to Ruby that I'm going to get going and although she seems disappointed she lets me go without any protest. I hug Granny and quickly say goodbye to Henry before I leave, waving at everyone else.

As I'm walking home I run into Belle who seems frazzled. "Whoa, Belle, are you ok?"

"Yea, you're actually the person I was looking for." She says and I raise an eyebrow as I wait for her to continue. "Rumple mentioned to me that you were a pirate in your old life. That means you can fight really well, right?"

"Um, I've been in my fair share of fights, yea. Why?" Now my interest is piqued. I cross my arms over my chest and notice she is holding a special knot of rope in her hand. "That's a monkey's fist knot; it's especially used on large ships. Why on earth do you have one of those?"

Belle grins triumphantly. "I need your help. I'm going to go look for something in a very dangerous place and I could use the extra protection. Will you come with me?"

"Of course I'll come with you." I'm not about to allow Belle to walk off into a potentially dangerous situation and not go with her, especially since she is here and asking me for my help. I couldn't possibly say no and run the risk of her getting hurt.

"Great, let's go. I figured we could start at the docks. I have a feeling we'll be looking for a ship." As she says this my stomach starts to feel empty and my heart starts to pound in my chest. I can feel my palms are starting to sweat and I know that whatever comes next won't be good.

…

It doesn't take long to arrive at the docks, perks of living in a very small town. When we get there we don't see any large ships, there are plenty of small boats tied to the docks, but nothing that could hide whatever Belle is looking for.

"Where could it be? Ships don't just disappear." Belle says, looking disappointed.

That's when I hear a sound, like wood creaking. "Sh." I say when I notice she's about to say something else. I tap my ear to tell her to listen. When she also hears it she raises an eyebrow. "Here." I say and grab sand out of one of the boxes sitting on the dock. I throw it down and it reveals a walkway. "A giant ship hidden by magic, clever." Belle smiles and starts to walk up the boardwalk. "Belle, how did you know about this?"

"A man, he attacked me, Rumple told me who he was." Belle explains as I follow her up the boardwalk. I'm tempted to ask who the man is, but a screaming suspicion tells me I already know, and moments later when I step on the ship and I look around, I am proven right.

It's my father's ship. The place I called my home for many years until Rumplestiltskin took me away. Before I can help myself I start to hyperventilate, looking around at the familiar red and yellow painted ship. Memories come flooding back to me from my childhood, faster and stronger than ever before. "Oh God…" I whimper, clutching at my head.

"Hey, are you ok?" Belle asks immediately rushing to my side and placing her hand gently on my shoulder. Her brown eyes are filled with concern as she tries to understand what could be causing me so much grief.

"This… This is my father's ship." I whisper, feeling sick to my stomach.

"Oh… I had no idea! Oh my gosh. Karina, if you want to leave, you can. I'll be careful and look around myself." Before she even finishes her sentence I am shaking my head.

"No, I told you I will help, so I will." I say this more to convince myself than her, but it must work on her too because she nods her head, smiles reassuringly and rubs my arm. "Let's do this." I lead her into the bottom of the ship where all the rooms are. I gesture to the ones in the front. "You look through these ones; I'll look in the ones in the back." She nods and we part ways.

The first room I come across is my old bedroom. I hold my breath before I slowly push open the door and step inside. The room looks like it hadn't been touched once since I last saw it. Tears come to my eyes as I step further inside, I run my fingers along the dusty drawers and pick up my old stuffed bear. I smile at the missing eye and remember when my father had tried to sow it back on for me, though his skills as a tailor were less than to be desired. I remember he had tried so hard I eventually told him to forget it, that I liked the bear better with one eye anyways.

I place the bear back on the bed when I notice all my old drawings strewn out on the desk. I pick them up, inspecting all the horribly done drawings of ships, flowers and birds. I even had tried to draw my father once, though it looked more like a big blob with arms. I laugh quietly at my horrible skills.

Remarkably, my father had managed to keep my room looking the exact same as the last day I was here. The blankets were still thrown across the bed, having chosen not to make my bed that morning. My clothes were still all over the floor and my toys were shoved into a giant treasure chest. Closing my eyes I try to block out the memory of the day I was taken, as well as the memory when I finally gave up on my father rescuing me.

My peaceful moment is shattered and my eyes snap open when I hear a familiar male voice. Immediately I know that my father is back and he's talking to Belle. I drop everything I'm doing and sneak down the hall, my back pressed against the wall. My father is standing in the doorway and I stop in my tracks, shock courses through me to see that he looks the exact same as the last day I saw him, except for the silver hook sitting where his hand used to be.

I shake myself of those thoughts, focusing on the fear in Belle's voice. Thankfully, my father's back is facing the entrance so he doesn't see me behind him. Belle, however, sees me as I press my fingers to my lips, telling her to stay quiet.

"Of course he'd leave out the most important detail of her passing." My father continues on, oblivious to the fact that I'm standing behind him. "He killed her. He ripped out her heart and he crushed it, right in front of me. And as if that wasn't bad enough? He decided to take my daughter from me. He took her to ruin my life more than he already had."

"No." Belle exclaims, horror clear on her face.

"Oh yes. He'll do anything for power. Why do you think anyone who's ever gotten close to him has either run away or been killed?" I hear the click of a gun and see that my father is holding a gun pointed at Belle. I pull one of my daggers out of my boot and slowly creep up to stand just behind him. "Tell me something darling, why would you want to fight for a man like that?"

"Because I still see good in him. Because I believe he's changed. Because his heart is true! And yours? Yours is rotten?" As soon as she says this I take the opportunity to attack.

Using the hilt of the dagger I smash it into the base of his skull, knocking him down. Unfortunately due to the height difference I'm unable to knock him out, but it's enough to get us a head start. "Belle, run!" I scream and she does so, grabbing a brown shoal before she turns and starts running.

I follow after her and start pushing her along when she slows down. I turn to look behind us when Belle screams and stops running. I collide into her back and stumble backwards until I regain my balance. When I look up my father is standing there, staring at me with wide eyes. "Karina…"

"Father." I curl my lip in disgust; all my hatred that has built up over the years comes to the surface. I hear Belle gasp and I know she's looking at me, shocked that I'm the daughter my father told her about.

"H-He's your father?" Belle stutters, looking between the two of us. "But he looks too young… You're too old!"

"Yea, I think both of us are a lot older than we look." I say to her, though I barely spare a glance her way.

"I suggest you give that back to me now." My father completely ignores my obvious hatred for him and Belle's confusion over the whole situation.

"Or what?" A new voice asks and we all look up to see Gold walking over to us, an oddly calm expression on his face.

"You look different in this world, Crocodile. Like the coward I met so long ago, limp and old." My father states, and smirks as he moves to stand in front of his old enemy. I push Belle back until she is standing behind me, far away from the two men.

"And yet, you still can't kill me." Gold begins to close the already small distance between them.

"Let's have at it, Crocodile." My father whispers. The tension in the air is so palpable it almost feels like it is going to ensnare and suffocate me. "What magic are you going to hide behind today?"

"Oh no, not magic." Gold laughs and then draws his cane back and then uses it to strike my father under his chin, sending him falling backwards. Then he proceeds to beat my father mercilessly with that same expensive cane.

"Rumple, Rumple, hey, let's go! Let's go!" Belle runs around me and towards the man she loves, begging him to stop. "This is what you came for; this is what is going to get you back to your son."

"Ah, you're wasting your breath love, he can't resist. He has to prove that he's not a coward!" My father taunts, his face bloody.

"You might want to turn away, Belle." Gold warns. Then he goes back to hitting my father with his cane.

After being beaten for what seems like ages my father snarls, "Do it! Kill me! He has to prove how powerful he is!" He dissolves into manic laughter and my shock grows.

"No, Rumple, this is what he wants. To destroy every piece of good in you." Belle cries beseechingly.

"Rip my heart out; kill me like you did Milah. And then I'll finally be reunited with her." My father says, and moves his clothes to give Gold unobstructed access to his heart. Any bit of sympathy I had towards my father, any bit of human decency that I felt that may have caused me to help my father vanished. He just proved that even when reunited with his child he would rather die so he can see a woman he loved almost two hundred years ago.

"He has to die Belle." Rumple raises his arms and then starts punching my father repeatedly. Belle looks like she is going to be sick.

"No! No he doesn't." Belle cries and I can't help but notice the irony in this situation. Here is Belle, begging for my father's life despite the fact that he's tried to kill her several times. Meanwhile I am standing not too far away from her, watching it all and staying silent. Even though Belle's only reason is to protect Rumple, she is still doing more than me. "There is still good in you. I see it. I've always seen it! Please, please show me I'm not wrong."

I watch with interest as Gold contemplates her words and then, something I thought I would never see happens. Gold let's my father go, he shows him mercy. "You take your little ship and sail until you fall off the edge of the world. I don't ever want to see you again!" To add injury to his insult he slaps my father across the face, gets up and takes Belle's hand, the two of them start to walk away.

I start to follow them when my father calls out to me, "Karina, wait, please…"

I stop in my tracks and clench my fists. My nails dig into my skin and I try desperately to stay calm. Slowly, I turn around and face my father who is watching me with pleading eyes. I take a few steps towards him and lean down until our faces our inches apart. "Go to hell." I curl my lip in disgust as I back away, staring at the pitifully bloody lump I used to love with all my heart.

Without another word I turn and walk away.

 **A/N:** Wow, so that was a really long chapter, mostly because I mixed two episodes together. I didn't really expect it to get as long as it did, but I'm sure you guys don't mind! I'm interested to hear people's thoughts about Karina and Hook finally being reunited. Next chapter will have more of them together, with a very explosive father/daughter confrontation.

Please take a moment to review!


	8. Chapter Seven

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Seven ~**

I get the call from Ruby that Belle was shot and lost all of her memories, she tells me that I need to get to the hospital as quickly as I can. Needing no further instructions I grab my stuff and rush out the door, rushing to the hospital.

When I arrive there is a lot of yelling and confusion as Belle is led away looking fine and my father is on a gurney bloody and wet from the rain. There also appears to be another strange man, looking better than my father but still bloody is wheeled in on another gurney. I watch them go by in shock as David tries to force Gold out of the hospital waiting room, but Gold protests and shouts his girlfriend's name.

"Everybody, calm down!" Dr. Whale yells over everyone, raising his hand to catch the attention of the two men struggling. "Mr. Gold, everything is going to be fine. She's in good hands here, I promise." He puts his hand on Gold's shoulder, trying to reassure him. Although, it looks as though it does little as the man shrugs his hand off and slowly walks away.

Emma walks over to me and says, "So your father is in Storybrooke after all."

"Looks like it." I reply, but I don't bother telling her about what happened earlier. I don't see the point and it's not like I want to talk about it anyways.

"Are you going to be ok?" She watches me closely, no doubt trying to use her "super power" to tell if I lie to her or not.

"I'll be fine." I smile through pursed lips and Emma sighs, clearly not buying my lie.

"Well, I'm going to go talk to him." She says, squeezes my shoulder comfortingly and then walks away, looking pained. While she is gone the rest of us stand around, looking lost and uncomfortable as we wait for any kind of news.

"We've gotta get into his phone." David says a while later as Mary Margaret holds onto the stranger's phone, trying every combination she can think of. "Let me guess another passcode."

"You can't guess!" Mary Margaret shouts, clearly getting frustrated. "There are a million other passcodes."

"Ten thousand." Ruby adds helpfully and Mary Margaret repeats her, as if no one heard it the first time.

"Leroy, can you hack it or something?" David asks reaching the phone out to the dwarf.

"You do understand that computer hacking and pickaxe hacking are different?" Leroy says to the prince, looking annoyed.

"Here, let me try. I have a thing." Emma says, joining the group and taking the phone. Whatever conversation she had with my father didn't last long and I'm almost curious to ask her what they talked about. "And we do know something; there was stuff in his car. Rental agreements, maps, receipts… His name is Greg Mendell. Now let's see." We all crowd around her as she gets into the phone and starts going through it. "I'll keep looking but I think what we have here is a well-documented ordinary life average Joe… Or Greg."

"So whatever kept people from randomly stumbling into Storybrooke for the last 28 years…" Ruby starts.

"Is gone." I finish for her, casting a grim look around at everyone else in our group.

"Anyone can just drive in… Why are my instincts telling me that's a bad thing?" David asks and crosses his arms over his chest.

"Because you've seen E.T. or Splash or any other movie where they find something magical and study it to death." Leroy growls and for the first time I see real fear in his eyes. "I mean, think what they would do to a werewolf?" Ruby gives him a look that tells him his words are not appreciated.

"Oh, and his friends and family?" Mary Margaret says quickly, looking panicked. "They're going to come looking for him soon."

"Let's try not to overreact." Emma tells her mother.

"Leroy's right, we don't need outsiders here." David gestures to the dwarf.

"Hook says he doesn't know where Cora is and God knows what she's going to do. But other people coming here, that's not going to be good for anyone."

"We need to find Regina and tell her that we know she was framed!" Mary Margaret exclaims. "What if Cora finds her first? I don't even want to think of what those two could do together; this could _not_ have come at a worst time."

"It's ok, the guy is being patched up right now, he'll probably be on his way home by morning." Emma tries to reassure her mother when Dr. Whale joins our group.

"Not quite." He says, face grim. "He's bleeding into his internal chest cavity. It's not a full flood right now, but pretty soon he'll be drowning in his own blood."

"So make it stop, aren't you a doctor?" Emma asks him angrily.

Instead of answering her, he walks over to Gold who is walking down the stairs. "Gold, you fixed me, now fix him. It will take you seconds and cost you nothing."

"No." Gold replies after a moment of contemplation. "I owe you nothing, Whale. I owe none of you anything, in fact, some of you owe me. Point of interest, the driver? He saw me throwing some magic. So instead of trying to get him out of here, you better be hoping he dies. Because if he doesn't, he's going to be driving tour buses up and down Main Street." The look on everyone's faces all agree that that would be a very bad thing. "So glad, I don't give a damn." With that, Gold walks away without another word.

"Look, letting him die is easy, I can do that. If that's what you decide." Dr. Whale whispers, his eyes casting quick looks around the lobby, looking for anyone who could be listening.

"Let's take this somewhere private." Emma says. Everyone agrees and we all start to walk off to Dr. Whale's office when Emma grabs my arm and holds me back. "Just thought you should know that your dad is asking to see you. He was pretty insistent. He said that if you don't go see him, he'll come see you."

I release a heavy sigh and nod my head. Emma watches me for a moment and then joins everyone else. I don't bother following because something inside of me is actually pushing me to go see him. Perhaps it's my curiosity, pushing me to get the answers I've desperately wanted for so long. With that in mind I ask a nurse which room is his and make my way down the hall.

I find him handcuffed to a bed, wearing a fuzzy blue robe with his hook missing. His face looks pretty beat up, but he's now dry from the rain and there are stitches in his bigger cuts. He doesn't see me when I first walk in because his eyes are closed. This gives me the opportunity to take in his appearance. He really hasn't aged a day since the last time I saw him and that makes me angry. Somehow, he too managed to find a way to cheat death and he didn't use that time to find me. He's made it very clear that his revenge on Gold is far more important.

"Karina." My father says his voice rough. I don't say anything as I walk further into the room. "I'm surprised you came."

"Yea, well, Emma said you wanted to see me. She said that you would come see me if I don't. Can't see how you're going to manage that while handcuffed to the bed." I stare down at him and I don't need to look in a mirror to know that my face is etched into a perfect scowl.

"Come on, you know better than anyone the situations a pirate can get themselves out of." He looks at me and I know that he's aware of my past as a pirate. How he found out, I don't know, but the look he gives me now says that he knows.

"Yea well, if you do that Emma might have to shoot you. Fugitive on the run and all that." I smile wickedly at the thought of Emma shooting him.

"I can see that the idea of Emma shooting me brings you pleasure. You really hate me that much?" He asks, looking hurt.

I lean down so my face is close to his. "You have no idea how much I hate you." With that I start to back up, intending to go back and join the others.

But he stops me. "Karina, what happened to you?" His words bring forth a kind of rage I've always tried desperately to bury, the kind that makes me do horrible things that I always regret later.

I spin around and storm back to his side, "What happened to me?! I was abandoned! Kidnapped and then left behind so that you could get your revenge. Do you know how long I waited for you to find me? How desperate I was for you to show up and save me like you had done so many times before?! Can you even possibly imagine the soul crushing agony I felt when I finally accepted that you weren't coming to save me? That I was alone?! You saved me from mom but you couldn't save me from Rumplestiltskin? Really? You were so obsessed with your revenge that you somehow found a way to cheat death so you could stay young and kill him? Because he killed Milah? What about me?! I was still alive and begging for you to find me, but you never came! Was Milah more important to you? Did her death hurt you that much that you couldn't think to save your only child? _What about me_?!"

"I swear I had no idea you were still alive or I would've gone looking for you. I was so set on my revenge, not just for Milah, but for you too. I truly thought you had died. I thought he killed you. I didn't find out you were alive until years later when I heard rumors of a girl pirate, one that was so fierce she found her own crew and ship and became Captain before she even became an adult. They told me that she was looking for me and when they described her… And it sounded so much like you, I couldn't believe it. Then they said you murdered Captain Morgan and I knew that the Crocodile had turned you evil. My revenge became about killing him not only for Milah, but for the innocence that you lost. I knew I couldn't face you until I killed him, so I made an alliance with Cora so I could kill him. It was sheer luck that you two were in the same place. I never meant to hurt you or leave you." Throughout his entire speech he tries to stay calm, but the emotion in his tone seeps through.

"Well you did. Thanks to you I now know that just because you're blood… Doesn't make you family. You and I may share blood, but I will never consider you family. I _hate_ you. Because of you I grew up alone, abused and scared. If you had truly cared about me, you would have tried your hardest to find out whether I was alive or not, rather than just 'assumed'. But instead you went off to wherever the hell you went to stay so young for so long and forgot all about me. But now, now that you think you are so close to killing the Dark One, you want me back in your life so someone who saw how he wronged you can see you win. Well too bad, I won't sit here and watch you gain the victory you cared about more than your own child." Once again I make motions to leave the room.

His quiet voice stops me once again as he says one word. "Neverland."

"What?" I stop dead in my tracks, surprised at hearing that word.

"I went to Neverland, it's how I stayed young. I went there thinking if I could stay young long enough, I could think of the perfect revenge on the Dark One." My father looks up at me, his blue eyes dark with sadness.

"When did you go there?" I ask, though I'm sure I already know the answer.

"Right after he took you." He replies.

"How long did you stay?" Part of me is angry with myself for asking so many questions and showing interest, but I need to know. I need to know how long he was in Neverland and if I had been lied to by the people I thought cared about me.

He gives me a confused look but answers my question anyways, "I stayed there longer than I wanted to. I got trapped, held captive by the creature that runs the island. I was there for over a century."

His words confirm my worst fear and time seems to slow down as I take a few steps back, my breathing slow and laboured. My father stares at me, a curious expression on his face. Before I can help myself I say, "I was in Neverland."

"What?" My father asks and I look up at him. "Most of my life was spent in Neverland. I went there when I was fourteen and stayed there for a very long time… Then I left, to find you, three years passed and I aged, then I got swept up in the curse and I stopped aging again. That's why I'm still alive and young."

"So we would've been in Neverland at the same time, then." He mutters and I slowly nod my head. The betrayal I feel cuts me so deep I find it hard to focus on anything else. Out of everyone, I thought my friends in Neverland would have been honest with me. Now they are only reminding me of what I should've known all along: you can't trust anyone.

"I need to go." I say quickly and hurry out of the room. My father tries to call me back but I quickly say, "Just stay away from me." The further I get from my father the angrier I become. I start to run through the hallways of the hospital, ignoring nurses who yell at me to slow down. I run until I'm outside, standing in the parking lot in the rain, in the middle of the night.

I spin in a circle, staring up at the sky until I see the star I am looking for. The second star to the right. "Peter!" I scream into the cold night air. "You lied to me! I trusted you! I trusted you more than anyone and _you lied_! How did you keep it all a secret for so long, huh? Was it all just a game to you? Did I really mean that little to you? I was just a pawn in your game? We had a deal!" I continue screaming at the night sky until my throat feels hoarse. However, I don't cry because I know that it will be pointless. If he can even hear me screaming like a maniac out in the middle of an empty parking lot, I don't want him to see me cry. I'm past crying. It gets me nowhere and with everyone in my life abandoning me and betraying me I'll soon be out of tears anyways.

"Karina? What are you doing?" Ruby runs up to me, her eyes wide as she looks around, no doubt looking for the person that I've been yelling at for the past five minutes. "Are you okay?"

"Define 'okay'." I close my eyes and release a humorless laugh. "No, I'm not okay. But I will be, eventually. I've just been through a lot the past few weeks and it's all kind of coming to a head tonight."

"Yea, Emma told us about your dad… I'm sorry." Ruby replies, looking at me sadly.

"Sorry? For what?" Truly feeling confused I wait for her to explain.

"It can't be easy having a dad like yours. I'm sorry that it's so difficult for you. I had no idea." Ruby mutters, squeezing my shoulder. I don't say anything and the two of us stare at one another for several long moments. "I have to track down Whale. He disappeared when he's supposed to be saving that guy's life. Did you want to come?"

"No… No, thanks. I think I'm just going to go home and take a nice long bath. I'm in the mood for some relaxation." I try to smile, but I know it must look forced. "But call me later? Let me know if that guy lives or not? I'd kind of like to know if I should start preparing myself for tour buses up and down Main Street."

She smiles and nods her head as she squeezes my shoulder one last time before turning and walking away. I make my way home, fully intending on following through with my words and taking a long bubble bath.

As with travelling anywhere in this town, it doesn't take me long to get home to my apartment. I immediately kick off my heeled boots and drop my bag on the floor by the door. I'm already undressing before I even make it to the bathroom, awkwardly trying to flip on lights with my shirt halfway over my head.

I make it to the bathroom and stop dead in my tracks when I notice the small silver scars all over my back staring back at me. I close my eyes and try to shut out the memories. Images of shattering glass, searing pain and my mother screaming above me all come rushing back.

" _God, Karina, you're so clumsy!" Mother screams, grabbing my arm and trying to force me to stand up. The mirror she had pushed me into is completely shattered, the glass lying all around me, coated in my blood._

" _I'm sorry, mama." I reply, tears in my eyes as I try to block out the pain and get to my feet. I don't want to disappoint her again. I had promised her I would try harder, but I failed. I suppose I kind of deserved this. I made her angry._

" _You always say that!" She screams again, "Stop saying that!" She rolls her eyes and takes another long drink of rum. Just as she's doing so the door swings open, revealing my papa, looking furious._

 _He notices me on the ground and with a few short strides he is across the room and standing in front of mama. He knocks the glass out of her hand and grabs onto her arm. "How dare you." He whispers, his eyes full of dark intent._

 _Mama struggles free from his grasp. "It's the only way, Killian! The only way that you'll love me again! As long as she's alive, you will never love me like you used to." She curls her lip in my direction and starts to stumble towards me. Papa grabs her again and forces her out the door, saying something into her ear that makes her face turn from a look of anger, to one of pure horror. He pushes her out the door and is gone for only a moment before he rushes back in, grabbing me and holding me tightly to him._

" _Things will all be better now, I promise."_

I don't know what my father had done to my mother. I hope that he killed her. She was a horrible monster who deserved nothing better. She should have known better than to anger my father. He was a pirate, a villain. He may live by a code of honour, but he was and still is a villain.

Supposedly, one could say I didn't have much of a chance to become anything but a villain myself. My mother was a crazy drunk who hated me from the moment I was born, my father was a vicious pirate who never spared his enemies, I was kidnapped by the Dark One, abused by the children of the village and then lived in Neverland, home of the Lost Ones. From the moment I was born, my destiny was laid out before me to become evil, driven by factors out of my control. To have turned out any differently would have been strange and unexpected.

Fully undressed now I slip into the warm water that has been running since I first stepped foot into the bathroom. The scent of jasmine fills the room, courtesy of my favourite bubble bath. I step into the tub and immediately sink to my chin in the water. I close my eyes and try to think of happier times, but instead I think of the first time I saw him.

…..

 _The hauntingly beautiful music leads me to a large clearing in the village. This clearing is usually used for town gatherings, when certain important things are happening that the leader of our village needs everyone to be aware of. Tonight, this clearing is packed with boys of all ages dancing around a roaring fire, which is reaching high into the sky._

 _Each boy is wearing a mask and each one seems to be having the time of their lives. In the middle of it all seems to be the leader. He is playing the music with a pan flute, rocking along to his own sound and watching the boys dance with a strange mischievous look in his dark eyes._

 _My first thought of this boy is that he is the most beautiful person I have ever seen. Dark chestnut coloured hair, cut just above his ears and deep green eyes. His tall, lean build is a welcomed sight after staring at the pudgy baker's son all day. He wears all green clothes, all different shades but all still green. The only other colour he wears is brown, on his belt and on his boots, as well as a brown sheath that he stores a dagger in at his waist._

 _I'm so busy inspecting him that I don't notice when sees me. However, when he stops playing his music I notice him watching me because all the boys continue to dance and I suddenly feel more alert. I look around, watching curiously as the boys dance as though the music is still playing. When I turn back to look at the boy I am shocked to find him standing right in front of me._

" _You're not a boy." He says, he sounds amused but also a little curious._

" _And you're not a girl." I state, confused as to why we are stating the obvious. The boy smiles, his eyes alight with mischief. "Why do the boys keep dancing even when you stop playing?"_

" _Because I'm using magic, so they continue to hear what I want them to hear." The boy explains. "Though I'm surprised you're here, as girls don't typically hear my music. Well, if they do, they don't come to play."_

" _Oh, well how unfortunate for them, you play beautiful music." I frown and the boy inspects me further, looking closely at the cut on my cheek._

 _He points at it. "What happened there?"_

" _A mean boy in the village likes to gather everyone to pick on me. They like to throw rocks. One of them hit my face." I explain, getting uncomfortable because I hate letting people know how weak I am._

" _Ah, well let me tell you, if you hit him, he'll stop hitting you. Promise." He grins wickedly, showing his dimples and I can't help but reach up and touch his cheek. He stops smiling and pulls back immediately, staring at me strangely._

" _Oh, sorry." I mumble, feeling embarrassed I pull my hand to my chest._

" _What's your name?" He asks me, looking at me more closely._

" _Karina. And you are?"_

" _I'm Peter. Peter Pan."_

 **A/N:** Yup, I'm super glad this chapter finally happened. I've been planning it since before I even posted the prologue. I hope you guys liked the chapter, a lot happened and now I'm going to start doing more flashbacks including Peter Pan in the chapters to come.

Please take a moment to review!


	9. Chapter Eight

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Eight ~**

As though the universe loves to see me suffer David and Mary Margaret call on me the next day to help them search my father's ship for anything of Cora's. They figured my presence would help keep my father from causing problems, proving they really don't know pirates very well.

Now I walk down the dock towards the ship with David, Mary Margaret and Leroy. They had filled me in that Emma and Henry have left with Gold to go in search of his son who is apparently alive somewhere in the world. My father is limping ahead of us, his hand holding his side as he makes noises of discomfort. No one has given him his hook back so I suppose they think that he's relatively safe enough not to be tied up.

When I had arrived and saw my father we had exchanged a long hard look but neither of us said a thing. Mostly because I had nothing to say to him and I think he's worried about what I'll say in front of the others if he tries to say anything. Mostly, the two of us have ignored one another for the short walk through town and down to the docks.

"You haven't even asked me about my recovery." My father says to no one in particular.

Mary Margaret laughs a little and stops in front of him. "How are you feeling, Hook?"

"Come closer and see for yourself." My father replies cheekily, his usual charm against women one of the many things that hasn't changed about him since I last saw him as a child.

David, not liking what he's hearing, steps forward and punches him in the chest. "Do you want to lose the other hand? Where's the ship? Come on, Archie told us it's shielded somehow, isn't it, mate?"

"Aye. That it is. Follow me." My father starts to walk down the dock but then stops and looks at David. "But I don't know what you expect to find, Cora won't be there."

"Well maybe she left something behind that will tell us where she went, let's go." David pushes him forwards, causing my father to stumble a couple steps.

"And no funny business." Leroy warns. "I'm watching you, pirate."

"Yes, _dwarf_. That should deter me from any malfeasance." The sarcasm in his voice is thick enough that I could probably cut it with one of my daggers.

"Oh, don't worry Leroy, he'll help us." Mary Margaret smiles.

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because you're a pirate, you know which way the wind blows. And right now? It is _gusting_ towards us." She fixes him with a look that says not to bother arguing because she knows that he's right.

"Not to mention your daughter is on our side. I've seen the way you look at her and it's the look of a father willing to do anything for his child." David adds his hands on his hips as he stares my father down with a knowing look in his eyes.

I look over to cast a quick glance at my father only to look away immediately when I find he is already looking at me. My father doesn't make any comment on anything the two say, instead he simply says, "Follow me." His earlier flirtatious mood with Mary Margaret seems to have diminished slightly as he starts to walk up the invisible walkway Belle and I had discovered before. I'm the first to follow with Mary Margaret, David and Leroy coming in after us.

"You sailed this ship from our land…" Leroy observes once everyone is on deck and looking around. "Can you sail it back?" He turns to look inquisitively at my father who is leaning over a railing in obvious pain.

"My ship, she's a marvel, made from enchanted wood. We weathered many storms together, seen many strange glittering shores. But to travel between lands she must go through a portal." As he talks he makes his way towards the helm of his ship, Leroy following closely behind.

"Yea, what do you know about Cora's plans?" David asks, clearly annoyed.

"Cora's not the most communitive of lasses. But I will tell you this, whatever malice she has in mind, her weapon of choice is in here." He pats a large square… Something, covered with a sheet. David and Leroy waste no time pulling that sheet off, revealing a large man with curly brown hair and beard sitting in a cage. He is unconscious but for the most part seems unharmed.

"Who's that?" Mary Margaret asks.

"A giant… Well, a giant that has fallen as unfortunate prey for Cora's magic." My father explains.

"So Cora used magic to make him travel size." Leroy seems absolutely baffled by this concept as he leans down and inspects the supposed giant in his cage.

"Whatever she plans to do with him is important." My father stares at the giant as he talks to the rest of us.

"Oh I think you know exactly what she intends." This comes from David who takes a few menacing steps towards the pirate. "You're holding out."

"Well why don't you have your lovely wife torture it out of me, which I promise will be fun for both of us." By the end of his sentence he is looking over at Mary Margaret who only seems disgusted by his advances.

David grabs him by his throat and pushes him against a wooden beam, "Why don't you and I have some fun?" He threatens, his voice low.

"I don't know what she's planning, why don't you wake the bloody giant and ask him yourself?" My father pulls a small key out of his pocket and holds it out to us. Mary Margaret takes it without any hesitation and unlocks the cage.

"Hey," She says softly and when he startles awake she places a hand gently on his arm. "It's alright, you're safe now." I notice my father slowly walking away from the rest of us, a mischievous look in his eye. I know from looking in a mirror that the look that we share never means anything good. "What's your name?" Mary Margaret helps the man get out of his cage.

"Anton. Where's that witch?" He looks around, clearly paranoid that Cora will jump out and attack him at any moment. "What did she do? She made me small." The man seems to be noticing his smaller size for the first time since he woke up.

"Come on," David grabs his arm and attempts to lead him away. "Let's get you out of here."

"You." Anton growls, effectively confusing David.

"Me?"

"You!" Anton rushes David and punches him, sending him flying. Anton may not be a giant anymore, but he is not weak by any means. He manages to send David over the railing and down to the deck below with one single punch.

"David!" Mary Margaret screams as she watches her husband fall in horror.

"Hey, over here you big-!" Leroy attempts to distract Anton when he shoves him down the steps. I pull out my dagger and jump at Anton's back. Having been so small my entire life I've gotten used to fighting people much bigger than I am and even using it to my advantage.

I use my dagger and plunge it into Anton's shoulder, intending not to kill him but only to hurt him so that he'll stop his assault. Anton steps back into one of the wooden beams, crushing me between it and his back. He does this a few times, slamming me against the wood until I lose my grip and fall to the ground. My dagger is still stuck in his shoulder when he kicks David's gun out of his hand.

He looks like he's about to attack again when an arrow flies by his head. He looks up to see Mary Margaret aiming another one at his head. "Step away from my husband."

"You may have me outnumbered but this isn't over." Anton growls and pulls my dagger from his shoulder before tossing it down in front of me, still covered in his blood. "Do you think I forgot what you did? I didn't. You'll pay for your evil, I promise, you'll pay!" He delivers his threat while running from the ship, anger written all over his face.

Slowly I pick up my dagger and get up, rubbing the back of my head where I can already feel a bump growing. "What the hell just happened?" I ask looking to David for some answers seeing as he's the one Anton attacked.

"I have no idea."

….

The four of us end up in Granny's diner, drinking coffee and discussing the recent events. My father had run away like a coward while the rest of us dealt with Anton, though it didn't surprise me very much.

"David, did that giant just say that he'll make you pay?" Mary Margaret asks her husband. She looks like she's trying very hard to understand what is happening, but doesn't seem to be able to. "For what?"

"I have no idea; I've never seen that guy before." David says looking at all of us. An angry red mark is forming on his cheek where Anton had punched him earlier.

"Well he sure knows you." Leroy replies, saying exactly what I had been thinking.

A look of realization crosses over David's face as he looks at his wife. "No, it's not about me. He just thinks that it is."

"Uh, care to elaborate?" I give him a weird look though he doesn't seem to notice as he seems to be lost in his own thoughts. Apparently deciding that waiting for David to pull himself out of his thoughts will take too long, Leroy gets up and walks off from the table.

Soon after he leaves Mary Margaret gasps, realization dawning on her face. "Your brother! That's who he thinks you are."

"Brother? I'm sorry, you have a brother? Since when?!" Truthfully, I can't picture David with a brother, he's just never mentioned any siblings so to find out he has one is shocking.

"Um, since birth." David replies, smiling a little bit at his own joke. I roll my eyes and motion for him to continue. "He was my twin actually, and he died a long time ago. But he wasn't a good person." David launches into the story about his brother, explaining everything.

"Oh wow. And I thought my family was messed up." I mutter once he's finished.

"Come on." David says suddenly as he gets to his feet. "We need to figure out what trouble my brother had gotten himself into." Mary Margaret and I get up, grabbing our jackets as we prepare to join him.

"Karina, you and Leroy should go get yourselves looked at. You both took pretty big blows to the head earlier." David says and I nod. I don't bother arguing because even as he says it, I notice my head is pounding. "Once you guys are done I want you two to gather the dwarves… We need to look out for this giant."

I nod my head and make my way into the kitchen where Leroy is sitting with ice pressed to the back of his head. "Come on, David says we have to get ourselves looked at and then go get the rest of the dwarves. Chop, chop!" I clap my heads several times, earning an annoyed look from Leroy as he places the ice on the counter and follows me out the kitchen.

….

Leroy and I are just leaving the hospital, both of us with strong pain medication when a random resident of Storybrooke runs up to us. "The giant! He's attacking Storybrooke! David said to find you!" The man gasps for breath as he stares at Leroy and me with wide eyes.

"Where?" I demand, stepping closer to the man. He turns and points, though I don't need much more indication than that because I can hear the sound of the giant yelling and throwing things from here. I look at Leroy and we start to run in that direction, leaving the man gasping behind us.

We find Mary Margaret and David in no time and get there just as David is trying to talk the giant down. "He was raised by a ruthless king!" David is explaining, though it appears as though the giant isn't really buying his story.

"You're not James?" He asks skeptically.

"No! He paid the ultimate price for his arrogance. He is dead! There is nothing more you can do to him." David replies, trying his best to convince Anton that he is telling the truth.

"We're on your side, Anton!" Mary Margaret yells as she rushes to stand by her husband. "We're good! We're here because of you, you know our daughter Emma, you gave her the magic compass."

"Emma? Let me talk to her! If she says you're ok than I'll stop." Anton replies and I look at Leroy uncomfortably.

"She's kind of out of town!" Mary Margaret says after a long moment of silence. "But when she gets back I know she'll really want to talk to you."

"How convenient! Everyone I'm looking for isn't around!" Anton shouts, getting angrier by the second. "All you humans do is lie, and cheat and steal, and I'm sick of it!" He moves to step on all of us.

Mary Margaret screams as we turn and start to run down the street, the giant following close behind us. As we run he continuously gets caught on the wires of the electrical posts, giving us the chance to stay ahead of him.

David takes the opportunity to fill Leroy in on everything that he explained to me earlier about his brother. However, Leroy seems to be having a hard time understanding. "So let me get this straight. You've got a twin brother?"

"Yea!"

"Who's name is James?"

"Right!"

"But your name is James!" Leroy shouts exasperatedly.

"No, actually it's not." David shrugs his shoulders as he runs.

"So it's Charming then?"

"No, that's the nickname I gave him!" Mary Margaret adds helpfully.

"So wait a second, what the hell is your name?"

"David."

"Your cursed name?"

"My real name!"

"So you're David, James and Charming? But David's like a middle name?" As Leroy continues asking all his questions I can't believe that he is actually bothering when we're all running for our lives.

"No, it's my name name!" David insists.

"You know what, I'm just gonna call you whatever I damn well please. Is that ok?!" Leroy shouts, getting angry.

"Sure Leroy." David replies and picks up the pace now that he doesn't have to run and argue at the same time.

"Am I the only one who wants to know what the plan is? Surely we can't keep running like this forever." I ask as we start to reach the docks.

"The plan is to lead the giant away so he can't hurt anyone." David says as he looks behind him to see where the giant is.

"Wait, if we keep running in this direction we're going to hit the town line!" Mary Margaret exclaims as David slows down and then stops running.

"Ok, new plan." He spins around and takes a couple steps forward. Mary Margaret questions her husband's actions but he doesn't bother turning around as he tells her, "Giving him what he wants…. Anton! How about we make a deal?"

"I don't make deals with humans." Anton growls.

"Just hear me out… I'll surrender myself to you if you spare the lives of everyone in Storybrooke." Mary Margaret goes to protest again. "If I don't do this the whole town will suffer and I can't allow that." He turns back to Anton. "Well, what do you say?"

Anton stares at him for a long moment. "Deal." He starts to run towards David, clearly intending to stomp on him. Leroy and I take cover behind a large pile of fish netting as Mary Margaret pulls her husband out of the way at the last second.

As he's wedged in the ground, whatever magic he was using to make himself big wears off and he disappears. I peer over the fish netting and raise my eyebrows, shocked to find the giant hole in the ground with no giant anywhere near it to speak of.

Slowly, everyone gets to their feet as we walk over to the gaping hole and peer down into it. There, we find Anton barely hanging on to a large metal pipe, looking scared.

After seeing that it doesn't take long for David to make a few phone calls and get people over with ropes and David's truck. Everyone rushes around, tying the ropes to the tail of David's truck and also tying David to the other end of the rope. I climb into the driver's side of the truck with the door open, waiting to hear when I need to press down on the gas.

Ruby, Granny and all the dwarves prepare themselves to pull the prince and the giant up and out of the hole as David starts to descend. Mary Margaret watches anxiously from the front of the line as she watches her husband. Other townspeople crowd around the large, gaping hole and watch nervously as their sheriff makes his way towards the man who had been terrorizing the town only moments before.

"He's got him! Pull them up!" Mary Margaret shouts and everyone starts to pull.

"Give it some juice, Karina!" Leroy shouts and I immediately press my foot down on the gas pedal. With the help of the truck, everyone is able to pull the two men out of the hole. Mary Margaret embraces her husband as Anton takes a seat on the ground.

"You saved my life." Anton says.

"It's what we do." Mary Margaret smiles at him.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Leroy replies, smiling a rare smile.

"We're not all the same, Anton. I don't know what my brother did to you, but that's not us." David pats Anton on the shoulder and smile.

"Now why don't we show you around town a little bit? Get you used to your new home." Mary Margaret smiles at Anton and helps him to his feet. He smiles tentatively and nods his head, clearly surprised by the warm welcome he is receiving.

We walk him back through town, showing him the major places before we finally stop at Granny's. "This is Granny's." Leroy tells him. "She makes a mean lasagna and runs an inn, so I'm sure we can find you a place."

"Thanks, but I think I'll set up camp in the woods." Anton looks around the diner.

"In the woods?" Leroy laughs.

"Yea, I'm better off on my own. I don't fit in too well."

"Well you're in the right place. Storybrooke has all kinds. Dwarves, fairies, werewolves, you name it. Ruby, Karina! Beers all around!" We get to work, pouring beer and passing it out to everyone.

I come back from handing out beer just as Anton pulls a small vial from his pocket. "This is the stem of a bean stalk. If I plant it, I should be able to grow some magic beans." Everyone begins to exchange equal looks of shock.

For the first time, the dream of going home becomes a reality.

 **A/N:** This was more of a filler chapter, I wanted to show more of Karina's time in Storybrooke interacting with their people before all the craziness hits.

Please take a moment to review!


	10. Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Nine ~**

I get to the docks at the same time as Emma, Gold, Henry and some other guy I don't know. Ruby is with me, while David and Mary Margaret pull up in his truck just moments after. Ruby rushes over to help Gold walk.

"Are you guys ok?" Mary Margaret asks as she and her husband rush to their daughter's side.

"Yea, we're alright." She replies as she finishes tying up the boat.

"I drove a ship!" Henry tells his grandpa excitedly.

"Did you now?" David asks as he takes Ruby's place in helping Gold.

"Yea, my dad showed me how." Henry says as I walk over to him and wrap him into a hug.

"That's… Me." The newcomer says, waving his hand a little as he smiles awkwardly at David.

David takes this chance to inspect the man we now know as Henry's father before he sets Gold against the back of his truck. "Thank you." Gold mutters, he's clearly exhausted and in a great deal of pain. I can't help but smile to myself at that.

"Is Cora trying to control you with the dagger?" David asks him.

"Well you would know if she was because most of you would be dead right now." Gold replies, looking down at the wound on his chest. I make a face when I notice it is oozing some kind of yellow substance.

"Well then, we're just going to have to bring the fight to them." Mary Margaret states, looking determined.

That's when the newcomer turns around and looks at me. For a moment he looks confused, but it's only for a brief moment until suddenly his eyes goes wide and he starts to laugh, "Oh my God! Karina?! Is that really you?"

"Uh… Yea? Who are you?" Everyone is staring at us now and I cast Ruby a nervous look. I have never seen this man before and the fact that he seems to recognize me so easily is frightening. Sure, it's possible I've met him before and just don't remember him. I've been alive for a long time. The only people I would recognize despite the amount of time that has passed are people I cared about. Everyone else was considered an enemy so I didn't bother remembering their faces.

"It's me, Baelfire!" He exclaims, slapping his chest a few times as he grins excitedly.

It all clicks into place and my eyes go wide before a huge grin settles across my face. "Oh my God! Bae!" I scream and launch myself at him, hugging him tightly. "You're still alive? I can't believe it!" I wrap my arounds around his neck and bury my face in his chest.

Baelfire and I had been very good friends when we were in Neverland. Of course, Pan saw him as a threat so he didn't last long there, but it was enough time for us to become good friends. When he escaped I had been heartbroken.

"I could say the same to you! How did you…" He trails off, staring at me in wonder. I know he's curious as to how I got away from Neverland but a quick, firm shake of my head tells him not to question it in front of everyone. "Later?"

"Of course." I smile up at him. "You've gotten old my friend. I can't wait to hear all about the horrors of becoming an adult." He laughs and hugs me one more time before Emma clears her throat.

"I take it you two know each other?" She asks, looking uncomfortable. I can't blame her considering the circumstances.

"Yea, we were good friends a very long time ago." He smiles at me and I can't help but smile back, elated to see a long lost friend.

"As much as I'd hate to interrupt this happy reunion, we need to get back to my shop. There is magic there that can protect us." Gold says, watching Bae and I interact with a critical eye. Baelfire grabs Gold and helps him into the truck.

"Let me guess, I get to go with Ruby." Henry says, looking up at his mother.

"You got it, kid." She replies as Ruby wraps an arm around Henry.

"I'll keep him out of the crossfire." Ruby looks down at the boy and then smiles at his mother. Emma thanks her before she climbs into the bed of David's truck with me and Bae.

As David drives to Gold's shop I look at Bae. "So let me get this straight, Gold is the dad you told me about all those years ago? The one who abandoned you?" Baelfire nods his head. "Wow. I knew Gold was looking for his long lost son, but I had no idea you were that son. Thanks for telling me." I lean forward and punch his arm.

"Hey! I didn't tell you because I knew it wouldn't be safe for you. If you ever came across him and he figured out that you knew me… It wouldn't have been pleasant for you. I was protecting you." He tells me.

"Oh please, as if that man hadn't already done enough damage to me." I reply bitterly. Baelfire catches onto my tone quickly and he shoots me a quizzical look, but I simply shake it off. "Later." I say and he smiles slightly, nodding his head. "So you're Henry's dad, huh?"

"Yea, I guess so." He says, looking at Emma who still looks to be uncomfortable. "How did you two meet?" I look back and forth between the two of them, but both of them look like they'd rather not talk about it.

"It's kind of a long story." Baelfire smiles uncomfortably and scratches the back of his head as he looks away.

"Uh, ok…" I trail off, still looking back and forth between the two until I decide to change the subject for all our sakes. "So am I still calling you Baelfire? I can't imagine that name fit too well in this world."

Baelfire laughs and shakes his head. "No, it does not. You can call me Neal. I'd tell you that I'm ok with Baelfire, but I'm really not."

"That's cool. Neal it is." I grin to show him that it really is ok and Neal smiles back at me, clearly relieved that I understand.

We pull up to Gold's shop not much longer after that. David and Mary Margaret help Gold to the back of his shop while Emma, Neal and I start to prepare the shop for an assault against Cora and Regina.

Emma starts drawing a line along the entrance of the shop with invisible chalk, I watch her curiously when Neal walks in and says, "I think you missed a spot."

She stops for a moment and turns to give him a dry look. "You're hilarious." She goes back to drawing the line, keeping her back to him in an effort to ignore his devilish smirk.

Neal leans against one of the glass counters and expects the sword I had given him to use in our fight against Regina and Cora. "I didn't know you were magical."

"Oh my, are you really going to be judgey about this?" Emma asks. "Because you're not allowed to have opinions about surprises Mr. Son of Rumplestiltskin."

"Oh." Neal says and Emma stops working again to glare at him. "I didn't mean for Tamara to be a surprise."

"You think I care that a guy I dated a decade ago is engaged?" Emma rolls hers eyes though I can tell by the fact that she's trying very hard to look nonchalant that she actually cares a great deal.

I want to take that moment to grill Neal on his engagement, but I decide that now probably isn't the best time. The look on both Neal and Emma's faces tell me as much.

"We're all clear outside." David interrupts the moment as he walks into the room, instantly picking up on the tension. "Everything ok?" Both Emma and Neal try very hard not to look at David and I simply shrug my shoulders, smiling awkwardly. "Uh, Emma, Gold wants to talk to you."

She nods her head, quickly finishes scrawling the invisible line on the wooden floor and then hurries out of the room. Not long after she disappears into the backroom the entire shop starts to shake. I peek out the window to see Regina and Cora standing in the middle of the street, determined looks on their faces. "They're here…" I say in a sing-song voice.

David heads to the backroom to warn everyone else and I pull out my daggers. I've always liked fighting with them over a sword because I've always been good at hand-to-hand combat and daggers allow me to do that with an edge.

David, Emma, Neal and Mary Margaret come out to join me and raise their weapons as the door swings open. "So much for that invisible chalk." I mutter as I lift my daggers in the air, preparing for an attack.

"Regina, think about what you're doing." Emma tries to reason with the Evil Queen, though it doesn't seem to do much good.

"Don't talk to me." Regina replies, her tone like ice as she glares at Emma. Regina lifts her hand and a fireball forms. She aims it at Emma and David steps in, using his sword to deflect her magic. Regina remains unfazed and she uses her magic to throw David out of the store.

"David!" Emma calls after her dad, taking a few steps forward. Cora sees this as a threat and throws Emma across the room as well.

I decide to take a different approach and throw one of my daggers at Cora, even with my incredible accuracy it misses because Cora uses her magic to deflect it and sends it flying back at me. The speed the dagger takes is too fast for me to duck in time and it hits me in the shoulder. I cry out, gripping my shoulder as rivulets of blood seep down across my fingers.

Neal rushes forward swinging his sword and just as he's about to make contact Cora disappears. As Cora is dealing with Neal, Regina steps forward and raises her hand, putting Emma in a chokehold.

When Cora reappears she seems to be weaker. She takes a few steps back, looking as though she feels light headed. That's when she notices the Dark One's dagger lying on the floor between her and Neal. Everyone in the room seems to freeze as we take in the situation. However I use this opportunity to tackle Regina into the wall, using the dagger that had been lodged into my shoulder to point it at Regina's neck.

"What's it going to be?" Neal asks Cora as Regina calls out for her mom. I use my arm to pin her to the wall and she tries to struggle out of my hold, but the more she struggles the more pressure I put on the blade until it starts to pierce her throat. As soon as she feels the cold bite of the dagger against her skin she stills.

Cora looks back and forth between her daughter and the dagger. "Choose wisely." Emma says, watching Cora waver on her decision. Finally, she makes it and chooses the dagger, using magic to bring it straight to her hand. Disgusted with her actions I use all my strength to spin Regina around and throw her at her mother, sending both women crashing to the floor. "Fall back to Gold, I have the chalk!"

The three of us rush into the backroom and Emma makes a quick line against the entrance. Almost as soon as we're inside Emma's phone rings. "David?... For now, we got the spell up in the backroom… She's not with you?" Emma looks panicked and I can only assume they are talking about her mother. She shares a few more words with her dad before they hang up and she shoves the phone back in her pocket.

"Everything ok?" I ask and she nods her head, looking worried.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that spell is getting weaker." Neal interrupts as he inspects the doorway from afar. "She's going to get through."

"Maybe it's for the best." Gold sighs, looking worse than he did before. As I inspect his sickly state I can't help but recognize the irony of this entire situation. I've always hated Rumplestiltskin with the strongest passion. My hatred for him came second only to the hatred I have for my father and yet here I am, protecting him and trying to keep him alive. One might argue I'm doing it for my friends and also doing it for the protection of the town, because if Cora becomes the Dark One it won't be good for anyone… Yet, I've considered myself a villain for a very long time and a true villain wouldn't care about this sort of thing. In fact, my past self probably would've helped Cora and Regina. This leads me to believe that I really have changed and I can't help but wonder what Peter will think of that.

"No, you're not dying." Neal interrupts me from my thoughts as he walks over to his dad.

"I am dying. That much is certain." Gold sighs and closes his eyes as if this is the moment he dies. "Hopefully I die before Cora can kill me, that way this cursed power can disappear from this world… I need to talk to Belle. Emma, please." He stretches out his hand and Emma immediately pulls out her phone and starts dialing a number.

"Who's Belle?" Neal asks.

"Your dad's girlfriend." I say and look at Neal with a smirk, finding his dumbfounded expression hilarious. With that said I decide to try and give Gold a little bit of privacy, mainly because I'd rather not listen to him flirt with his girlfriend and act like a normal human being. I may be here protecting him now, but that doesn't mean he's any less of a monster in my eyes. He is simply a better monster than Cora.

Shortly after Gold gets off the phone with Belle Neal turns to his father and says, "I didn't know you had that in you."

"I spent a lifetime looking for you. Just for a chance to tell you that I love you… And I'm sorry." Even without looking at Gold he sounds like he is close to tears. I bite my lip and find myself thinking of my own father and comparing our relationship to Neal and his father's. We may be incredibly different, but our situations are almost identical. Both Neal and I were abandoned by our fathers, leaving us feeling lost and alone. Both our fathers defied time to look for us, only Gold seems to have cared about that more than anything. Whereas my own father only cared about killing his crocodile with me being an afterthought. I find myself filled with envy because despite how terrible of a father Gold was, at least you can see that he truly cared about his son.

After several, long and tense moments Neal whispers, "I didn't think you'd go back on our deal."

"I made the wrong choice." Gold insists and then reaches his bloodied hand out towards his son. "May I?"

"I'm still angry." Neal replies, not looking at his father. But then, out of nowhere, Neal grabs onto his father's hand with both of us, and the look of anguish on his face as he rests his head against their joined hands almost brings tears to my eyes.

Emma and I share a look as father and son put their heads together, tears in both of their eyes. They are finally reunited only to have Gold's death looming over them. Once he dies there will be no chance for them to reconcile and become a family again. I know that thought is weighing heavily on their minds as they sit close together, not saying a word but conveying plenty through touch.

The moment doesn't last long when Cora suddenly storms into the room; the spell obviously has been broken. Emma, Neal and I raise our weapons, prepared for round two when Cora says, "You three, out of the way." And just like that, with a wave of her hand the three of us disappear and then reappear in the middle of the woods on a hiking trail.

"Seriously?!" I demand, throwing my arms in the air.

"Come on, let's start walking." Emma says and starts to make her way down the trail. Neal and I follow close behind her, though I'll admit that I shuffle my feet a little bit, annoyed that we missed out on a fight.

As we walk I'm burning to ask Neal about what happened with his dad. I hold off for most of the walk back into town, but near the end of it I find I'm unable to help myself. "So… About what happened with your dad…"

Neal sighs and stops walking to fix me with a hard stare. "Yea?" He asks, looking like he really doesn't want to talk about this. However, I can tell by the look on his face that he knows I'm going to ask anyways, no matter how much he doesn't want me to and that is simply because of who I am. We spent too much time together in Neverland for us not to know one another well enough.

"Have you forgiven him?" I bite my lip and wait for his response.

Neal sighs again and continues walking as he debates how to answer my question. I look up at Emma who is walking a few feet ahead of us and I can tell that she's clearly listening but I don't really mind. Finally, Neal settles on an answer. "I don't know. I really don't."

I look down at my feet, disappointed because that did nothing to help me with my own situation. Neal, upon seeing that disappointment displayed on my face nudges my arm. He knows almost everything that happened with my father, like him I never told him who my father was, but I told him all the horrible details and how I finally came to terms with my abandonment. Our similar situations were what bonded us so quickly when he first came to Neverland.

"I don't know if I can ever forgive my father." I say quietly and Neal wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. "He's apologized, but I've recently come across some new information that makes me question everything I thought I knew."

"So you've been reunited with your father too?" Neal asks, shocked by the news. I suppose he wouldn't know that Captain Hook is my father seeing as I never told him.

"Yea, just recently actually." I mutter, but I don't bother to elaborate, not in front of Emma. I may like her, but I don't trust her enough to spill all my secrets in front of her.

Neal, picking up on me closing myself off to the subject squeezes my shoulder and asks, "Later?" I nod my head and he gives a small smile.

"Hey, there's David." Emma says seconds later. I look up and sure enough we have reached the end of the trail and Emma's father is standing at the end of it, waiting to greet us. I notice a grim look on his face and I share a nervous look with Neal. "What's wrong? Is Gold…"

"No." David says quickly. "But Cora is. Mary Margaret… She used a magic candle to swap Gold and Cora's lives so Cora died in Gold's place." I look at Neal in shock but he is staring at David, no doubt having mixed emotions about this.

"Mary Margaret?" Emma asks, surprised by her mother's role. "Where is she now?"

"I took her home… She's not doing so well." David sighs. "And now that Cora's dead, I'm worried about Regina more than ever. By killing her mother we may have just pushed her over the edge."

 **A/N:** I'm so excited for Neal to be here because I have so many plans for his and Karina's friendship, as well as many flashbacks of them in Neverland. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!

Please take a moment to review!


	11. Chapter Ten

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Ten ~**

"So I want you to tell me everything." I smirk as Neal drops his head to the table and sighs.

"Everything?" He lifts his head to look up at me and sighs again when he sees that I am serious. "Ok, where do you want me to start?"

"How about you start by telling me how you got out of Neverland?" Neal's escape from Neverland always surprised me. Mostly because I had no idea he was planning an escape and also because I didn't think it was possible to leave Neverland without Peter's permission, he just wouldn't allow it. Yet somehow, Neal managed it and when he left it was a shock to everyone… Well, everyone except for Peter.

"I used his shadow." Neal says quietly, looking around at the other diners in Granny's. We had picked to meet earlier in the morning when not many people are there in the hopes that if we talk quietly no one will overhear our conversation. I also knew for a fact that neither Granny nor Ruby would be in today, making it a safe place from prying werewolf ears. "I trapped it and then used it to take me home… Well, it actually took me to this world."

"Huh, I didn't think it was possible to use Peter's shadow for that. I figured it was just too powerful."

"Well did you even try?" Neal's eyes flash angrily for a moment and I am taken aback by his anger. Neal and I look at one another for a very long time before he looks down again. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out that way. I just meant that you seemed pretty close to everyone there, him in particular. I would never have thought that you'd even want to leave."

"Well I didn't… Not at first. Neverland became my home. I'm surprised it wasn't yours." I sigh and wrap my hands around my mug of hot chocolate.

"Well you were treated better than I was." Neal smiles a little, though it is a smile without any humor.

I fix him with a dry stare. "Hardly. Everyone was basically treated the same. Follow Pan's rules and you don't get hurt, but if you broke those rules…"

"And yet he always said there were no rules." Neal smirks. "What about you? How did you get away from Neverland? When I last saw you there was no way you were leaving any time soon."

I bite my lip and debate whether or not I should tell him. After all, Neal is my friend and I know I can trust him with just about anything. We've been through too much together for me not to trust him. And yet, I find myself reluctant to say anything because that will just make it all real and I know Neal won't appreciate what I did. My mind made up I release a heavy sigh and barely look him in the eye as I say, "I made a deal."

Neal's reaction is immediate and filled with disappointment, just like I knew it would be. "Karina!" He hisses, taking a sharp intake of breath he looks around to make sure no one noticed his outburst.

"Well it's not like I had much of a choice!" I grumble. "Besides, it worked, didn't it? I'm out."

"Yea, but for how long?" Neal sighs and leans back in his booth. "There's no way he would have let you go for good. I saw the way he looked at you. It was like you were a possession, one that he could lock away and keep forever. No way did he let you leave Neverland forever."

"He didn't." I mutter evasively.

Neal groans. "What was the deal?"

"The deal was that he would give me one year to look for my father, and then I had to go back." I sigh and fix him with an even stare, daring him to judge me on it.

Surprise flickers across Neal's face before he says, "You went looking for your father? Did you find him?"

"No, I didn't. Surprisingly, I found him after the curse was broken here… Or rather, he found me." I make a face before I continue. "When the year was up I couldn't go back. I hadn't found my father yet and I was actually really enjoying my time away from Neverland. I had found some criminals to form a crew and had just become the captain. I couldn't leave all that behind just yet… So I made a deal with a witch for a protection amulet, one that hid me from all forms of magic. She swore to me that as long as I wore it, he couldn't find me, it was like I was invisible."

"But you don't have it now…" Neal observes, looking at my bare neck.

I place my hand against my chest, an empty pit in my stomach. "No I don't. I lost it when the curse it. I was pushed over by some magic and the amulet slipped from my neck and shattered. It's gone, which means he can find me whenever he wants."

"Which means he's probably been watching you for the past 28 years of the curse." Neal mutters, his gaze full of sympathy.

"Yup… He's already left me a gift to let me know he's watching." I pull the ring out of my pocket and show it to Neal.

His eyes go wide as he recognizes the jewelry. "Isn't that the ring you always wore around your neck? The one that belonged to your father?"

"That it is." I smile bitterly as I turn the ring over in my hand, inspecting it. "I left it with him when I left Neverland, as a promise to come back. I found it in my apartment not long after the curse was broken… Kind of as a way for him to remind me of our deal."

"And to remind you that no one breaks deals with him." I know Neal doesn't mean to scare me when he says that, but it does scare me anyways because the way Neal says it sounds like he pities me greatly. "So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know… I haven't seen or heard much from him other than this, other than this super creepy feeling of being watched. Mind you, that could've just been my dad watching me when he came to town." I sigh and run my fingers through my hair.

"Who is your dad?" Neal asks curiously. I had told him all about my father but never mentioned any names because I had been too upset that my father had abandoned me. I figured if I didn't say his name the pain of his abandonment couldn't hurt me. Of course, I was wrong.

Smiling bitterly I look up at Neal and say, "Captain Killian Jones, otherwise known as Captain Hook." Neal's eyes go wide and I can tell that he recognizes the name. "Oh God, you know him?"

"Uh yea… Yea I do. I was on his ship when the shadow first brought me to Neverland. He was the one that turned me over to the Lost Ones when I found out that he was the pirate that took my mother. After that, I knew I couldn't stay with him so I asked him to drop me off anywhere on the island… Instead he turned me over to Pan." Neal shakes his head angrily.

"All that time…" I whisper, shaking my head. I notice Neal look at me curiously so I elaborate. "All that time we were together on that island, talking about our families. Not once did either of us elaborate on who they really were. Could you imagine if we had? What would've happened? If either of us spoke our fathers names or if one of us talked about your mother… We could've figured this all out so much sooner."

"But what good would that have done us? We were still trapped there, abandoned by families that didn't want us."

"I would have known that my father was on the island… That Peter was lying to me." I say this more to myself than to Neal as I look at the table unseeingly. After a few moments I look up, blinking back tears.

Neal sighs and reaches across the table, grabbing my hands in his. "I'm sorry." By the earnest look in his eyes I know that he truly means it. "We were too broken by our pasts to talk about, if I had talked about it, I could've saved you a lot of heartache."

"No, I don't blame you for not talking about it. I was just as secretive about my past. Besides, I don't think having any knowledge about my father's whereabouts would've saved me from any pain. Killing your father was his number one priority, I was just an afterthought." Both Neal and I pay for our hot chocolates and get up to leave the diner. Neal wraps an arm around my shoulders and pulls me close.

"What messed up lives we lead." He smiles humorlessly and I chuckle.

"Well, not all of it is messed up." I smirk and nudge his ribs with my elbow. "I heard you're engaged."

"Where did you hear that?" Neal laughs.

"Where do you think? Henry, of course!" We both laugh and Neal shakes his head. "Which, by the way, you still have to tell me how you met Emma. I can't believe you're Henry's dad!"

"Yea, well believe it." He stays quiet for a moment and then says, "I met Emma when she tried to steal a car I'd already stolen."

"Oh, how romantic." I smirk.

"Because your love life is any better?!" Neal teases and pokes me in my side. "We kind of had our very own Bonnie and Clyde act going on… Until I made a mistake and got Emma sent to jail." With that, Neal launches into his story about him and Emma, explaining how they met and fell in love and how Neal learned that Emma was supposed to be the saviour, so he decided to let her go for the sake of Storybrooke, which only got her sent to jail. Afterwards he tells me all about his fiancée, Tamara.

When Neal finishes his story I find I am at a loss for words. "Wow… That's uh… That's quite a story."

"Yea, I know." Neal sighs. "Hey look, I gotta go. Tamara is coming into town and Emma's bringing Henry over… You can come if you want?" He jerks his thumb over his shoulder to point at Granny's inn. I smile and shake my head.

"Nah, I'm good, thanks." We hug and then Neal walks off towards the inn, his hands stuffed in his pockets. I watch him with a small smile on my face, glad to have a good friend back in my life.

…..

" _So do we have a deal?" I ask holding my ring inches away from his face. Peter stares at it, his eyes cold and calculating as he weighs the pros and cons of our deal. I try to keep my face as perfectly neutral as I can; knowing that one slip on my side has the potential to ruin everything. If he knows just how eager I am to get away he will never let me go, choosing to keep me here as his pet. He must think I simply want to leave to get some answers from the man that abandoned me. After all, how could he keep me here after Felix slipped up and told me my father was still alive? He knows how important it is for me to get some answers, but if I act too eager he'll behave as though I only want to get away from him._

 _Slowly, Peter reaches up and takes the ring, turning it over in his long fingers. His expression is unreadable and I have no idea what he plans to do. I've spent a lot of time with him and I'd like to say that I know him even better than Felix, and yet even I have trouble reading him most days._

" _I will give you one year to find him." Peter says at last, looking up to meet my eyes with such intensity I almost want to take a step back. "If you don't find him in that year, I want you to give up on him and come home, where you belong."_

" _Deal." I say simply, elation fills me up though I know I have to be careful not to let it show. I try to tame my reaction, but I know a little bit of it seeps through because suddenly Peter's expression takes on a darker side._

 _He reaches towards me and grabs my arms, pulling me to him. "But if you run, or try to get out of our deal, I will find you and I will drag you back to Neverland to face all sorts of unimaginable torture." He breathes these words inches from my lips and I quickly nod my head, eyes wide with fear._

 _My heart is pounding in my chest and my palms are sweating, though I am being completely honest when I say, "I would never want to leave you forever, Peter."_

" _No, why would you? Not when I give you this…" He closes the distance between us in a matter of seconds, his lips crashing down on mine. He lets go of my arms only to wrap his arms around my back, pulling my body against his. I wrap my arms around his neck, my fingers intertwining in his hair, pulling at it because I know he likes it rough._

 _Sure enough, Peter growls deep in his throat in approval as he forces my mouth open, giving his tongue full access to explore its contours. I eventually decide that I need air so I pull away and throw my head back, breathing heavily as Peter kisses my jawline and then goes down my neck to my collarbone. He nips at the skin there, igniting a fire inside of me so that I grab his face and pull his mouth back to mine, moaning as I do so._

 _Then, Peter pulls away and steps back, leaving me gasping for air. He grins devilishly, that same mischievous look in his eyes that has been there since the day I met him. "Time for you to go now. I'll see you in a year." With a wave of his hand a portal opens. I look at it for a moment and then look back at Peter. However, he is no longer standing there. I sigh and walk right into the portal, leaving Neverland behind._

…..

"Hey kid, your mom asked me to watch you for a little while after school." A grin stretches across my face as Henry approaches me. He seems excited to see me as he leans over to give me a hug.

"Which mom?" He asks as I hook my arm around his shoulders and the two of us leave the bus stop behind us.

"The blonde one." I clarify and he laughs at my description of Emma.

"You know, you were actually just the person I was hoping to see." Henry explains to me as he steers me towards the park. Just like every time I pick Henry up after school, the two of us go to the park and see who can get the highest on the swings first. It's something the two of us have been doing for as long as he's been old enough.

"Oh?" I ask and raise an eyebrow, my interest piqued.

"I was looking through my book yesterday and I noticed that you're not in it all." Henry replies as he grabs one of the swings and drops down into it. He shoves his feet in the sand, careful not to look at me as he tries to hide a mischievous grin.

"Oh, you just noticed that, did you?" I tease him as I reach over a poke him in his ribs.

Henry laughs and moves away from my tickling. "Ok, maybe I noticed it a while ago, but I think now is the time I get some answers. Especially since you know my dad so well."

I look away and squint my eyes against the sunlight, groping for a way to have this conversation without revealing too much information about myself. "What does your dad say about him and me?"

"He just says that you two were really good friends. I didn't get much of a chance to ask because Tamara was there." I can feel Henry inspecting me out of the corner of my eye and curse the kid for being so perceptive. "Truth is, no one really knows anything about you, Karina."

"Yea, I kind of like it that way." I turn to give him a tight smile but that smile immediately falls from my face when I notice Henry watching me intently. _Guess I can't avoid it any longer._ "Your dad and I met a long time ago, back when I was still pretty young and before I became a pirate." Henry's eyes go wide with excitement and wonder. "Yes, I was a pirate, a pretty good one if you ask me, and no I don't have my ship here, sorry." His face noticeably drops with disappointment and I can't help but smile faintly. "Your dad and I became really good friends, but then he left and I never saw him again until now… End of story. Not very exciting I'm afraid… Probably why I was never in your book."

"Maybe…" Henry looks down as he seems to be contemplating my words. "So you met my dad in the Enchanted Forest then?"

I pause and quickly try to decide whether or not I should tell the truth. Like a shameful coward, I decide to lie to the kid. "Yes, I did. I spent my whole life on the seas of the Enchanted Forest until Regina swept me up in the curse." With that said I look closely at Henry and almost sigh with relief when I see that he seems to have bought it, nodding his head as he looks out at the beach ahead of us. I hate myself for lying to him, especially because I know he wouldn't judge me for my past, in fact he would probably want to know everything about Neverland. However, I can't bring myself to tell him. The more ignorant Henry is to Neverland, the safer he will be.

I know that Pan is look for Henry, I remember the drawing he had and I also remember my promise to help him get that boy's heart. I recall saying to him, "I'll do whatever it takes." But now that I know Henry, and I have grown to love him like a little brother, I can't do that to him. I can't carve his heart out and hand it over to Pan in a little box like a present. And yet… If Pan ever finds out that I knew Henry, that I had the trust of him and his loved ones but I still didn't do anything… It would surely be a death penalty for me. He would see it as the ultimate betrayal. This is why I need to do everything that I can to keep Henry's location a secret from Pan, if he doesn't already know.

"So… Just how old are you?" Henry asks as he shoots me a strange look.

I lean back in the swing and look up at the sky, doing the mental math. "Um… To be honest, I'm not too sure anymore. Technically, I was frozen at the age of 16 during your mother's curse… But before that I was definitely over 100. I'm probably close to 200 years old at this point."

"Ew, you're so old!" Henry teases.

I let my jaw drop in false bewilderment. "Excuse me? I'm young at heart! That's all the matters." Henry gives me a look like he seriously doubts that. Getting up from my swing I jump at him and start tickling his sides. "Take it back!"

"Never!" Henry gasps between fits of laughter. He tries to slap my hands away, but I'm relentless.

"Take it back, I say!"

"Ok… Ok… Ok! You're young at heart!" Henry continues laughing, tears coming to his eyes as he feebly fights off my onslaught of tickling. I finally decide that he's had enough and release him from my attack. "You can be very vicious, you know that? I'm adding that to your file."

"My file?" I throw my head back and laugh.

"Yea, your file! Everything I learn about you and your past, I'm writing it down. I'm hoping to add it to the book if I can… It's not very fair that you're not in there." I find myself touched by his words and surprised that he would be trying to do something like that.

"Henry, you don't have to do that."

"I want to! You were in the Enchanted Forest, just like everybody else. You deserve to be in that book." He sets his mouth in a firm line and I know that means I shouldn't bother arguing, his mind has been made up.

 _Except I wasn't in the Enchanted Forest like everybody else… I was in Neverland plotting your murder._

 **A/N:** Not too sure how I feel about this chapter. To me it's kind of all over the place, so for that I apologize. But I'm in the final few episodes of season two now and there's so much going on and so much I want of Karina's story to get out before they head to Neverland, so it's kind of making a bumpy ride. However, I am happy with Henry and Karina bonding. I know I touched on that in a few chapters already, but I really wanted to show it before I start writing season three. Their relationship is going to have a huge impact on how I write season three, so I didn't want to just jump right into it without showing you guys a little bit of it beforehand.

Now that my long-ish rant is over, please take a moment to review!


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Eleven ~**

"Karina." I drop the plate I'm washing into the sink and jump, spinning around to see my father standing in my kitchen, just a few feet behind me.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" I don't bother asking him how he got in; I know his response would be the same kind of answer I would give: "I'm a pirate".

"I need to speak with you." He takes a step towards me and I immediately lift my foot and put it against his stomach, hoping he'll get the very obvious hint telling him to keep his distance. Fortunately he does, though he doesn't seem pleased to obey it. He sighs and looks down at my foot and waits for me to lower it before he looks back up at me. "I just want you to know that I'm working on a deal to get you and I back home."

"Uh… What? Why on earth are you doing that? I thought I made it very clear that I want you to stay away from me." I grab a towel off the counter and use it to start drying my hands.

"Well, you didn't actually say that so I figured there was room for me to make amends." My father smiles sadly and we both know that that is something I do not want.

"Wow, ok, I thought me telling you I hate you and telling you to go to hell made it pretty clear. I didn't think the exact words needed to be said. I thought it would be pretty clear through my hatred for you." I say this all very quickly, hoping he won't notice my pitch change with my lie. Truthfully, since finding out that Peter had also lied to me, I've been having traitorous thoughts about my father, thoughts that make me angry with myself. I keep thinking of all the good times I had with my father, times that make me smile and ache to be in his warm embrace again, to smell the spices and rum that always seemed to cling to his leather duster.

"I'm not giving up on you." He shakes his head vehemently. Without warning he takes a step forward and cups my chin with his hand. "You are my child, the only person I truly care about. You may hate me, but I will do anything to keep you safe and to win your trust back. I'm going to make things better, I promise." He leans forward and places a kiss on my forehead. I don't bother pulling away. In fact, I simply close my eyes and let it happen.

"What kind of deal are you working on? And with whom?" I cross my arms over my chest when my father steps back, hoping my tough stance will offer some kind of protection against the onslaught of emotions I find myself suddenly swimming in.

"Don't worry about that; just know that I'm going to keep you safe." The dangerous gleam in his eye is a look I remember well from my childhood. It's the kind of look that says someone was going to die if he didn't get his way. As a pirate, he wore that look often and it always used to scare me. But then I grew up and became a pirate myself, taking on that same dangerous look in my own eyes. And yet, here I am again, finding myself afraid of that look once again.

"Well I am going to worry about that." I mutter just as I notice my father starting to walk backwards, towards the door. I start to follow him and then stop myself as I decide against it.

Without another word, he slips out the door and I find myself staring at the door for several long minutes, surprised by the events that just unfolded before me. _What just happened?_

…..

" _Karina…"The baker's son, Tim, taunts me as he takes slow, menacing steps towards me. I narrow my eyes and clench my fists as I try to stand my ground. Peter had said that I should hit back and then Tim will leave me alone. Now I am determined to do just that. "I still haven't gotten you back for running out on your punishment the other day. You really hurt Annabelle's feelings when you pushed her over."_

" _I'm sure she was just heartbroken." I mutter and look around for any adults who might be able to witness what is about to unfold. Of course, there isn't any in sight as Tim picked an excellent time to come after me. The sun had just set and everyone was inside preparing dinner, the streets are empty which makes it a perfect time for Tim to hunt me down and hurt me. He must know that Gail sends me out every night before dinner with a bucket to fetch some water from the well._

" _Oh, she was." Tim sighs, completely oblivious to my sarcasm. "Which is why I promised her that I would get you back. An orphan like you needs to be put in her place." With no other words needing to be said he lunges for me, his meaty fists reaching out to make a connection with my face._

 _I step back and curl my own hand into a tight fist and then with all my might I swing. I feel the contact and gasp as a sharp pain runs up my arm. However, it seems that I have done more damage to Tim as he falls onto his back, clutching his bloody nose. Tears stream down his cheeks, mingling with the blood and he opens his mouth in shock. "I think it's time you left me alone, Tim!" I threaten and for extra measure I raise my fist as if I'm going to hit him again._

 _Immediately, Tim curls back and raises his hands to protect his face. I can hear his helpless gasps as he starts to cry like a baby. "Y-You h-hit me!" He cries in disbelief as he tries to use the hem of his shirt to soak up some of the blood._

" _That's right, and I'll do it again if you come near me!" I try my best to curl my lip and sneer down at the boy, hoping that I look intimidating. I stand above him for several moments, enjoying the sight of the baker's pudgy son on the floor crying pathetically. Once I am satisfied that he's gotten the hint I turn on my heel and walk straight into Peter._

 _He has a malicious smirk on his face and he raises his hands to clap slowly and deliberately. "Bravo! That was an excellent show of strength." He looks over me to sneer at Tim who is still crying on the floor, but he appears to be trying to hide his face from Peter. "I'm proud of you."_

" _Yea, but my hand hurts now." I frown as I look down at my hand that is still curled into a fist. Some of Tim's blood is drying on the knuckles and I know that I'm going to have to make sure it's all washed off before I go back to Gail and Leif. I'm sure they would be properly concerned if they saw the blood._

" _I can help with that." With a wave of his hand the pain and the dried blood are gone. I stretch my hand out in awe as I inspect it more closely, looking for any sign of what I had just done. When I find none I look back up at Peter, wonder in my eyes._

" _That's amazing!" I cry. "I know you had magic, but I didn't know you could heal people!"_

" _I can do a lot of amazing things… Especially when I'm at home in Neverland. I can fly." His eyes go wide and he raises his eyebrows, as though he is giving me a silent proposal. "Do you want to go there?"_

" _To Neverland? Will I be able to fly too?"_

" _Of course. Anything is possible in Neverland. And the best part?" He leans down to whisper in my ears. "You never grow old in Neverland." He reaches his hand out to me, daring me to take it. Mischief lines his features but I don't care. I grab his hand tightly in my own and just like that, the two of us disappear._

… _._

I show up at the Charming residence just as some unseen force rocks the town. Emma, her parents, Henry and Regina all stumble as I use the door jamb to keep myself upright. "Ah, so this is why you called me. Need help saving the town again?" I grin at the odd family who are all giving one another grim looks.

I had been at the graveyard, honoring Baelfire's memory with a bottle of rum when Emma called me. Apparently after Tamara killed Neal, she met back up with Greg and the two of them are using some sort of magical safety switch to destroy the town. Of course, the heroes are determined to stop it and asked for my help. Since I don't want to die, I'm pretty eager to help them.

"Regina, was that…?" Emma trails off once everything settles.

"Yes, the diamond was activated." Regina sighs as she wraps an arm around her son's shoulders.

"So we're all going to die?" He asks, looking around at his mothers and grandparents.

"You were born here, so you'll live." Regina tries to smile reassuringly, but because it looks so forced, it does very little to reassure the boy.

"But… I'll be alone."

"I'm so sorry, Henry." Regina rubs his arm in a comforting gesture.

"No it's not, I'm not going to let it happen. You did this, now make it stop." Emma says determinedly.

"I can't. There's no way."

"Well figure it out!" Emma shouts as she takes a step towards the Evil Queen.

"Stop! I already lost my dad; I don't want to lose anyone else. We have to work together!" Henry cries passionately, as always acting like the peace maker between the light and dark sides of his family.

"From the mouths of babes! I do believe the lad has a point." My father enters the room and stands next to me. However, he has barely entered the room when David punches him in the face.

"That's for the last time we met." He growls, looking like he wants to hit him again. I raise an eyebrow and look between the two men, shocked. I knew that they weren't exactly best friends, but I hadn't realized that they had come to blows. "Now tell us why you're here before I use something other than my fist."

"I think threatening to kill me is a bit redundant when we're all about to die anyway." My father replies, glaring furiously at the prince.

"Yea, no thanks to you. Regina just told us how you're working with Greg and Tamara to get your revenge." Emma replies and I spin around to look at her, my jaw slack. _So that would be the deal my father was making…_

"That was before they told me my daughter and I would have to die to get it." My father sighs, looking at Emma with a bored expression.

"We don't have time for this. We have to deal with our bigger problem." Emma tells her father who nods his head in agreement.

"Which is why I'm here." My father interrupts. "Staring death in the face has made me realize that if there's one thing I want more than my revenge is for my life. So shall we stop this thing now and then resume bickering?" No one really seems surprised by his selfish need to survive.

"There is no stopping it." Regina sighs. "I can slow it down, but that will only slow the inevitable."

"Or give us the time we need to steal back the beans. We can use them to get everyone back to the Enchanted Forest before it's too late." David replies and again I whip around to stare at another member of the Charming family, shocked by another turn of events. I hadn't even been aware that there were beans. Last I heard, Anton had a petrified one that he was planning on growing but that still seemed rather far off into the future. Now apparently they've been stolen and we're hatching a plan to steal them back. I guess those beans grow faster than I thought. Clearly, I need to spend less time at Granny's diner and more time hanging out with the heroes.

"How? We don't even know where Greg and Tamara are." Emma replies, looking exasperated.

"Well I do and I can help." My father grins, clearly pleased with himself for having some useful information.

"And with our luck you'll take them and leave us all behind." Emma growls. "Why should we trust you?"

"Oh, we won't have to. Karina and I will go with him and if he tries anything I'll shoot him in the face." David smirks, overjoyed by the idea of committing violence against the pirate.

"Quite hostile aren't we?" My father tries sarcastically.

"Just being clear."

"I'll take Regina to slow down the diamond, give you guys some time. Mary Margaret, take Henry and gather all the townspeople so they're ready to go as soon as we have those beans." Emma orders everyone like a military leader, swift and determined as she gives everyone their task.

Regina grabs Henry as Mary Margaret walks out the door. The rest of us stop and watch as Regina grabs Henry's chin and looks deep into his eyes. "Henry, I'm sorry for what's happened… I tried to be the person you wanted me to be and I failed. But I _won't_ let you be alone… And just know that I love you."

"I love you too." Henry whispers. The two grab onto each other for a tight hug and then Henry follows his grandmother out the door. Emma and Regina follow behind them and I walk out just after them.

David and my father are behind me when I hear my father say, "The things we do for our children."

….

The ride to the old cannery is a long and awkward one. My father tries to win us over with his usual charm, though David doesn't buy it and I'm too confused by my father's recent behaviour to really listen to him. When we get there, none of us waste any time jumping out of David's truck.

Just as my feet touch the ground, the earth starts to shake again. I fall against the truck and my father reaches out to steady me. "Time is running out!" He warns and runs ahead of us.

"Oh, is that what that is?" David mutters sarcastically as we follow him. "So, tell me Hook, all this time it's been about revenge for you. Why is it suddenly so important to you that you survive? I know what I'm fighting for: my family. What are you fighting for?"

"The same thing. And although my family may be a lot smaller than yours, there is plenty of motivation there, I can assure you." My father continues on but I stop, shocked by his words and David stops too as he gives me a strange look.

I shake my head and smile awkwardly before I continue on. That's when we hear a clattering sound not too far off from where we're walking. David pulls out his gun and leads the way. The three of us walk a little bit farther ahead and then hide behind some barrels when we see the shadow of Greg Mendell walking towards us.

David waits barely any time before he jumps out and points the gun at Greg's head. "The beans, give them to me." My father and I flank his sides, both our weapons drawn just in case.

Greg sets his bags down and pulls a small vial from his pocket. "You mean these?" Just as he says this Tamara appears out of nowhere and shoots at David. Then, just as quickly as she appeared, she takes off running in the other direction. My father tackles Greg and I run after Tamara, David following close behind me.

Just as I start to gain on her, she stumbles and falls down, her gun sliding away from her. She quickly gets up and I waste no time, jumping off the ledge she tripped on and kicking her in the chest. She flies back, landing on her back. I'm on her in seconds, grabbing her jacket and punching her in the face over and over again. "This is for Baelfire you lying piece of scum!"

"Karina!" David comes up behind me and moments later Greg shows up behind him, tackling David into the wall. The whole situation distracts me from Tamara and she uses that time to hit my over the head, knocking me off of her. "What are you doing? They've got the beans!" I turn around to see my father holding David back.

"Not all of them! I snagged one." He shows it to David and then puts it in the leather pouch, strapped to his belt.

"Where are the rest?"

"Who cares, all we need is one." David seems to contemplate the pirate's words for a second and then he tries to go after the two again. "Hey! Live to fight another day mate."

"I'm not your mate." David growls and then pulls the leather pouch away from my father, running off in the opposite direction of Greg and Tamara. My father and I share a look before we run after David.

The three of us hop into his truck and then drive off to Granny's diner. As David drives I watch in horror as vines and trees start to destroy buildings, taking over the once happy looking town. I shake my head and look away from all the carnage, a sick feeling in my gut.

It doesn't take us long to get to Granny's diner and when we arrive Emma is getting there at the same time. She talks to her parents for a moment and then goes over to her son.

"Where's my mom?" Henry asks, looking around at everyone.

"Regina can hold off the self-destruct long enough for us to get away, but she won't survive." Emma adjusts the collar on Henry's jacket, looking upset for her son.

"No…" Henry gasps, his shock and despair become heartbreaking to watch. "No!"

"Henry, Regina is giving us an opportunity to get away safely."

"But we can't do this! She's family!" Henry argues as he looks to others for help in convincing his mother. "We saved her from being taken by the wraith, how is this any different?"

"The wraith! We sent it through a portal, why can't we do the same thing with the self-destruct?" Mary Margaret exclaims.

"Because no one will go along with it." Her statement sounds more like a question.

"Yes we will!" Archie interjects. "Because it's the right thing to do. Look, Snow White and the Prince have always led us before and we've always won. So, who's willing to let them lead us again?" Archie and many others raise their hands. Feeling inspired I too raise my hand, smiling at Emma as she looks around at everyone, shocked.

"Thank you, Archie. This is what we should do!" Mary Margaret cries convincingly. "I know we haven't had a lot of chances to be parents, but give us this one. It's not too late to do the right thing."

"I just don't want him to be alone, like I was." Emma says she hugs her son to her. Her parents look like they are trying to find some response to that when suddenly the whole diner shakes and everyone starts to stumble. Glasses and plates shatter as they fall off the shelves. "This plan could fail, but if we use that bean now we can be sure that we will survive!"

"But it's wrong! Emma, I killed her mother and it was a mistake. I took the easy way out when there were harder paths. So please, Emma, honey, let's take the hard path. Because if we don't, we will be building a future on Regina's blood."

Emma stares at her parents long and hard as a heavy silence fills the room. "Ok." She says finally and her dad goes to pass her the leather pouch when mine intercepts it.

"You're all mad." He says as everyone rushes after him. I'm at the front of the group and I raise my hand, telling the other to stay back. "I can live with myself… If she wants to die, I say let her."

"You and I, we understand each other. Rumplestiltskin may have taken me away from you when I was very young, but I grew up living the same kind of life you did. And it taught both of us that if you look after yourself, you can't get hurt. But I've found living here and being with these people, that only looking out for yourself doesn't always work! One of these days it is going to backfire and it's up to you whether or not you want to be here and be a part of something now, or just do what you do best and be alone." I raise my eyebrow, challenging him. When I see he is wavering, I push on. "You told me earlier that you would do whatever it took to win my trust back… If you join us now, it'll go a long way with earning that trust back, but if you don't, you can forget me ever forgiving you."

My father and I stare into one another's eyes for a very long time, the same shade of blue mirroring one another. Both of us stick out our chins defiantly, waiting to see who will break first. Apparently, my father wasn't lying when he said he wanted me to forgive him, because after several long moments he sighs and places the leather pouch in my outstretched hand.

I reach over and give it to Emma as she and everyone else start to leave the diner. "Why are you so willing to help these people?"

"Because I'm starting to realize that being the villain doesn't always get you what you want." I turn to follow everyone else out.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. But I'm not about to let you be a hero if it means it's going to get you killed." I'm about to turn around and ask him what he means when I'm struck at the back of the head and I go down, everything goes dark around me.

….

" _Do you trust me?" Peter asks, his hand stretched out to me. That ever present mischievous gleam in his eyes tells me that I shouldn't, and yet my heart tells me that I should. Peter has spent years visiting me almost every night and I feel as though we know each other better than anyone. He has become my family and now he's here to take me away from the life I've always loathed._

" _Of course I trust you." I whisper, slipping my hand into his. In an instant he pulls me off the bed and presses me flush against his body. Our faces are inches apart as he wraps his arms around my body._

" _Promise me that you're ready to never return. This will be the final time that I take you to Neverland; it'll become your new home. I'll be your new home. Are you ready to give everything else up? Are you ready to be mine forever?"_

" _I'm ready… I want to be with you forever." I press a soft kiss at the base of his throat and his arms tighten around me._

" _Then it's off to Neverland."_

…..

I wake up on my father's ship. It takes me some time to get my bearings but once I do I realize that my father is steering his large ship away from the shores of Storybrooke, a magic bean in his hand. Everything clicks into place at once and horror sets in as I realize that Emma and her family are about to die a gruesome death, leaving Henry alone.

"Father!" I shout, getting to my feet. My word spins and I stagger a couple of feet before I reach him and slap my hands down on the helm. I notice the carving my father had etched into the wood long ago to teach my how to steer a ship has been crossed out by a Z. I shake my head of the memory and look up at him, "We have to go back! You've doomed everyone to a horrible death just so we can get away!"

"I can live with myself if I know you're alive. You can even hate me for it." He growls and looks out towards the ocean, his face set in a hard mask. However, despite his attempts at appearing tough something tells me if I really do turn around and hate him, he'll be devastated.

"I will not sit here and watch you condemn everyone I've grown to care about to death. We have to go back! Right now!" I slam my hand down on the helm and he raises an eyebrow.

"Karina, I used to deal with your temper tantrums before when you were just a child, don't think I can't still handle them."

Anger courses through my veins, making me see red as I grit my teeth and clench my fists. I take a step until I'm right in front of him and my face is inches from his. "If you do this, I will _never_ forgive you. You may save my life but I will hate you forever."

My father goes completely still, staring at me as he notices the fury on my face and I think he's seeing me as a grown woman and not the little girl he left behind so long ago.

I decide to make one last desperate plead, hoping that a different technique will convince him. " _Please papa_." I whimper, looking deep into his eyes for any sign of wavering. I can see the shock in his blue eyes and I know he's surprised to hear me call him 'papa' for the first time in over a century.

"Someday you'll understand why I have to do this. I can't risk letting you die… Not after everything that I've done." He finally replies, his tone thick with emotion.

I close my eyes and shake my head before I push off the helm and walk away from him. With his back to me I climb up onto the railing and stare down into the dark waters. Wind blows my dark hair back and I grab onto one of the ropes for extra balance. "Well I guess you leave me no choice..." My father spins around at the sound of my voice and his eyes go wide. "I'd rather die with them, than live with you."

"Karina, no!" He lunges for me but it's too late. I jump off the ship and into the water, plunging down deep into the cold, dark ocean. I allow myself to sink for a bit until my need for oxygen kicks in and I start swimming to the surface.

I start to make my way back to shore and being a strong swimmer it doesn't take me long. I swim up to the dock and use one of the ladders to climb up. Just as I pull myself over I notice the two dark shadows standing over me. I get up; ready to fight when they grab me. I start to struggle against Greg and Tamara when I notice Tamara has a needle in her hand. My eyes go wide and I try to fight even harder, but she stabs the syringe into my neck and injects the clear liquid into my body.

The world starts to get dizzy and I almost fall of the dock if it weren't for Greg holding me up. "Man, this girl is definitely a fighter. I can see why the home office gave us that stuff to knock her out." I hear Greg say.

"I don't think it's working though…" Tamara mutters, inspecting me. "She should be passed out by now."

"Who cares, she isn't fighting anymore, and that's all I care about." Greg and Tamara each grab one of my arms and start to drag me down the dock. My focus goes in and out and nothing really is clear.

Before I know it, Greg and Tamara have Henry and are bringing us back to the docks. "Relax, kid. We're not going to hurt you." Tamara says.

"Just everyone I love… You tried to blow up Storybrooke." Henry tries fighting them, but as a young kid he isn't much of a match. Meanwhile, I can barely walk and Greg practically has to drag me. "And what have you done to Karina?"

My focus zones out and I don't hear Greg's response until suddenly I'm staring down at the water as a portal opens. I can hear shouting behind us, but whoever they are, Emma and her parents I'm assuming, they are too late. Greg and Tamara jump into the portal, holding on tightly to Henry and me.

That's when everything goes dark for the second time that day.

 **A/N:** And there we have it! Season two is officially over and season three, along with the real fun, begins! Next chapter will be a flashback chapter, filled with a bunch of flashbacks of Karina's time in Neverland to kind of set the stage. But after that, Peter Pan will make his first official appearance… One that is not in Karina's memories.

As always, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, it's fairly long since I crammed three episodes into this one. Please take a moment to review!


	13. Chapter Twelve: Part One

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Twelve: Part One ~**

" _It's time for hide and seek!" Peter announces, a wicked grin set upon his beautiful face as he stares across the fire at all the lost boys. "Since this is Karina's first official night staying with us…" He pauses while some of the boys cheer. "She gets a head start." The flickering flames of the fire cast an odd shadow across Peter's face, making him look demonic._

 _Excitement courses through me as I jump to my feet, grinning from ear to ear. "Any boundaries?"_

" _Of course not!" Peter scoffs like the whole concept is simply ridiculous. "This is Neverland! There are no rules! You should know that by now." It's true, from the moment I first came to Neverland I learned very quickly that as long as you do not anger Peter, anything goes. "We'll give you a head start… You have one hour to get as far away as possible and hide. Once that hour is over the boys and I will come looking for you." His grin is cunning and as I look around I notice some of the older boys share the same look as their leader._

 _However, I hardly pay it any attention, too focused now on all the places I can run to, my thoughts already begin to scan all the good hiding places I know of. "What do I get if I win?" I ask, barely able to control my excitement._

" _All the treasure will be yours!" Peter laughs and throws out his arms. The treasure he speaks of is just a bunch of gold and other precious jewels Peter stole from a group of pirates a long time ago. Although it has no real worth to anyone on this island, it is still a status symbol and it practically makes you royalty amongst the lost boys. However, no one but Peter has ever been in control of it. He_ always _wins every game we play._

 _Except not tonight. Tonight I plan to win. I can only imagine the impression I will give if I win one Peter's games my first official night staying here in Neverland. My first night as an official lost girl. I'm the first and only one. I need to make sure I'm impressive. "When does my time start?"_

" _Now." Peter smirks and immediately I hurry out of the clearing, the sound of the lost boys shouting and hollering behind me. I start off running as quickly as I can, eager to put as much distance between myself and the camp as quickly as possible. Time passes differently in Neverland so it's hard to tell whether or not the hour will pass quickly or slowly. Though I am determined to make every minute count for something._

 _The further I get away from camp and the deeper I go into the woods, the darker and colder it gets. The moon offers very little light through the treetops and I have no torch to light my path or keep me warm. I stop running because I decide if I trip on a root and smash my face in it won't do me any good to beat the game._

 _I walk quickly, but also carefully as my eyes not only scan for tree roots but also for good hiding places. I have no idea how long I'm walking for when suddenly I hear rustling in the bushes behind me._

 _I spin around, inspecting the bushes through narrowed eyes. Disappointment courses through me because I didn't even get a chance to hide before one of the lost boy's found me. Except, the figure that emerges isn't a lost boy, but a girl._

 _My shock is instant and it appears this girl also seems surprised to see me. In all my nights here I never came across another girl and before I can help myself jealousy courses through me._ What if she's _special_ to Peter? Just like he said I was. _I narrow my eyes and pull out a dagger Peter had given me._

" _Who are you?" The girl asks, her eyes zoning in on my dagger as she too takes out a weapon._

" _Karina. And you are?" I take the time to inspect her as she seems to deliberate whether or not she's going to answer. She's short, only slightly taller than me, with blonde hair pulled back into a bun and slightly pointed ears. She wears tattered clothes that are different shades of green, just like Peter._

" _Tinkerbell." The girl finally replies, still watching me carefully. "What are you doing here?"_

" _I'm the first official lost girl." I say proudly, lifting my chin to show confidence._

 _The girl snorts and I glare at her. "Good for you. Wonder how long you're going to last. Though you are the first girl to actually gain the 'lost girl' status so there must be something about you that Pan likes."_

 _My jaw drops only slightly, but it's enough for the girl to smirk at my apparent surprise. "Well what are you doing here then?"_

" _I'm only here because I have no choice. But I don't have any part in Pan's little group. I'm not that stupid." She crosses her arms over her chest and looks me over dubiously._

 _It takes me a moment but then I realize that she's insulting me. "Hey!" I cry, my anger coming to the surface. "You know what? I don't have time for this. I'm playing a game and I need to hide from Peter." I start to turn away when Tinkerbell reaches out and grabs my arm._

" _Wait, you're playing hide and seek with him?" She asks, her eyes wide with horror. For a moment I think she's only trying to play with me and then upon further inspection I realize that her horror is very real._

" _Yes, with him and the lost boys… Why?" I ask quietly and then wonder if I really want to know the answer._

" _It isn't with the lost boys, I can assure you. He just says that to make you feel better, but it's really only a game with him." The nervous look on Tinkerbell's face tells me that I should be nervous too. "There aren't many girls who show up to Neverland… But when they do? Pan likes to play a game of hide and seek with them. He indulges them for a little while and then… Well, let's just say you can hear the screams all throughout Neverland."_

 _Fear travels through my veins like ice, rooting me to my spot as my heart almost ceases to beat. "H-He kills them?" For the first time since I met him, I am scared of Peter Pan. Not once did we play hide and seek in all those times I visited in my dreams. It was usually swimming, or flying around the island or play fighting. He never asked me to play hide and seek until tonight. Was that his plan all along? Gain my trust and then kill me? He does love games, after all. This would be the ultimate game._

 _I close my eyes as a tear slips down my cheek. I immediately wipe at it, angry at myself for showing fear in front of this stranger. "I'm sorry." She whispers._

 _That's when a thought occurs to me and my fury comes back in full force. "How do I know I can trust you? I did just meet you, after all. You could just be some girl obsessed with Peter and hoping you'll scare me off."_

 _Tinkerbell's mouth opens and closes several times like a fish out of water. She seems to be at a loss for words but then her face sets into a hard, angry mask. "Don't believe me? Ask yourself, has he ever gotten angry? And I mean really angry. Doesn't he get scary? He shows just how dark he can be when he gets angry and if you've seen even a small fraction of his anger, you'll believe the words that I'm telling you now."_

 _Staring deep into Tinkerbell's brown eyes I realize that she's right about Peter getting angry. Although Peter loves to portray himself as a fun, mischief-loving boy to me there have been times when he's gotten so angry I feared for my life. The anger was never directed towards me, thankfully, but it may as well have been with all the fear I felt whenever he would get mad._

 _Once I accept that Tinkerbell's words are true, true panic sets in. I grab her arm and practically scream in her face. "What do I do? I can't let him kill me! I have to get out of here."_

" _Unfortunately no one gets off this island unless he allows it." Tinkerbell sighs. "But there is something I can do… I can help hide you. If you win the game he can't kill you, he'd be breaking his own rules."_

" _There are no rules in Neverland." I mumble absentmindedly._

 _She fixes me with a bored look. "Yes there is. One rule; an unspoken rule, but it is there. It's the rule that Pan's word is law. He can't kill you, not without going against himself."_

 _Feeling hopeful I nod my head, automatically agreeing to whatever plan she might concoct. She purses her lips into a thin line and then grabs my hand and starts dragging me through the woods. She takes me to this small treehouse, which is apparently her home, and then tells me to hide under the bed. "Under the bed, really?" I grumble as I get down onto my stomach and slide myself under._

" _Hey, it may not be the most creative, but this is my home. Pan and I made an agreement a long time ago that he leaves me and my home alone if I leave him alone. He won't look for you here, or at least he shouldn't." Tinkerbell sighs and then starts to drape some of her blanket over the edge of the bed, effectively hiding me and blocking my view._

" _You instill such confidence, Tink." I sigh and she shushes me. I don't know how much time passes, but neither Tinkerbell nor I speak, which is fine by me. My fear is too potent for me to really think up any small talk._

 _Suddenly I hear his voice. "Tinkerbell, fancy meeting you here."_

" _Pan… In my home, even after we made a deal for you to leave me alone, how completely expected and unwanted." Tinkerbell replies in a dry voice. My heart starts to thud in my chest and I place my hand over my mouth to silence my breathing._

" _Well our deal was that as long as you stayed out of my business, I'd stay out of yours. But since you can't seem to follow it, here I am." He sounds as though he's barely containing his fury._

" _What do you mean?" Tinkerbell asks._

 _Silence fills the room and I yearn to peek out from under the blanket and see what's happening but I don't dare. "You can come out now, Karina." Peter finally says and my eyes go wide._

" _Who?" Tinkerbell asks, still feigning ignorance._

 _I hear Peter sigh heavily and then suddenly the sound of Tinkerbell choking fills the room. "What did you tell her? Huh? She wouldn't run from me like this unless you opened your big mouth and said something you shouldn't have."_

 _I try to block out the sound of Tinkerbell choking, but my conscience gets to me and I quickly jump out from underneath the bed. "Peter! Let her go!" I notice he isn't even holding her against the wall with his hand, but with magic. I cast a wild eyed gaze around the room, taking a few steps away from him. The manic look in Peter's eyes is something I have never seen before. "If you want to kill me, here you go, you won. Just let her go."_

 _Peter drops his hand and Tinkerbell falls to the floor, gasping. He walks towards me until our bodies are only inches apart. I lift my head to meet his eyes, trying to appear defiant in my last moments alive. "Kill you?" He asks and although he seems to be bewildered by the thought, I can detect a small hint of mischief behind his gaze and I know that his bewilderment is just an act. Killing me was exactly what he had in mind tonight._

" _Tinkerbell says you kill girls who come to Neverland. You play hide and seek with them and if you win, which you always do, you kill them. So here I am. Kill me." I throw out my arms, exposing my chest and giving him clear access to my heart. I watch him for several long, heated moments and when he doesn't do anything; my anger gets the best of me. I place my hands on his chest and shove him back. "Kill me!" I scream, tears coming to my eyes. "Might as well! All those years of getting me to trust you just so you could kill me. Must have been quite the game."_

 _Peter watches my explosion with wide eyed wonder, clearly thrown aback by my sudden outburst. He quickly recovers and then takes a few steps to reach me, his arm reaching out. I close my eyes and brace for him to pull my heart out when his fingers tangle themselves in my hair. Then he smashes his lips down to mine and I open my eyes wide in shock. I beat against his chest until his other arm wraps around my waist and pulls me closer, crushing my fists against our chests. The fire I feel between us is all-consuming and I feel my knees buckle. For a moment I think I'm going to fall, but Peter's grip tightens and he holds me upright._

 _Peter pulls away almost as suddenly as he kissed me and grins down at me, "Now, you're an official lost girl."_

… _._

 _I've been in Neverland long enough to gain the trust and respect of all the lost boys… All but one. Felix. The angry blonde lost boy is older than the rest and he is clearly Peter's second in command. Whenever Peter isn't around the boys answer to him, though that may have to do more with the fact that Felix carries around a large club._

 _For some reason Felix really seems to hate me. He barely speaks to me, and when he does it's usually some condescending comment. When I first got here I let it go, worried about overstepping boundaries or making enemies. But at this point I've forgotten all about that. Some of the other lost boys told me Felix likes to bully everyone and I've decided that I won't be one of his victims any more._

 _I carefully planned out my idea, waiting until Peter had left for whatever reason he had. He always leaves on secret outings and no one really knows where he goes._

 _Once Peter was gone and Felix was distracted with one of younger lost boy's I decided to attack. I pulled out my dagger and lunged at his back. Felix spun around last second and grabbed my wrist, squeezing it until it was so painful I had no choice but to let go. "What do you think you're doing?" Felix asks, his voice is deadly calm but his dark eyes warn me of the rage boiling beneath the surface._

" _I've had it with you bullying me, or any lost boy for that matter! So I'm ending things." I seethe, trying to look tough._

 _Felix smiles a nasty grin before he steps back and stretches his arms out, "Give it your best shot." A voice inside my head tells me I should quit while I'm ahead but I can't bring myself to listen. If I back down Felix will continue to taunt me and things will most likely just get worse._

 _My decision made I curl my lip in disgust and pick up a large wooden stick some of the other boys had used as a weapon in play fighting earlier. I figure Peter won't like me stabbing his second in command. I weigh the stick in my hand, noticing it's a lot thinner than Felix's club, but it will certainly work anyways._

 _It's then that I lunge for him, hoping to take him by surprise with my sudden movement. Felix grabs his club and swings it at me, intending to hit me in the side of the head. I duck and use the butt of the stick to hit him in the stomach. I hear Felix make a loud 'oof' sound and I grin in satisfaction._

 _My glee is short-lived however because Felix uses my arrogance against me and uses his fist to hit me under the chin. I land on my back, black dots blurring my vision. Then Felix is on top of me with his hands wrapped around my throat. A malicious look darkens his gaze and for a moment I wonder if he's actually going to kill me._

 _Lost boys crowd around us, some watch with grim expressions while others cheer. As I look around at all their young faces I feel around with my hand in the dirt until I find a rock. I grab it without hesitation and hit Felix in the temple with it. He shouts but stays on top of me. I start hitting him in the face with the rock over and over again until finally he gets off me, covering his face._

 _I get up and rush at him when a strong arm wraps itself around my waist, holding me back. "Easy there, tiger." Peter laughs, clearly delighted by the scene before him. "You don't want to kill him."_

 _Felix removes his hands from his face and glares at me, however there is a new look to his gaze and it's one of grudging respect. I had held my own in a fight and now I've gained the respect of the toughest lost boy._

… _._

 _On a typical night in Neverland we've just finished supper and the younger lost boys are washing the dishes in a stream not too far off when Peter starts to play his music. The fire comes to life and starts getting bigger and bigger as excitement courses through the camp, getting each lost boy to his feet as he starts to dance and holler. I decide to join in for the fun of it, even though the music doesn't seem to affect me in the same way that it does the others._

 _Everyone's dancing and having a good time when suddenly the shadow appears overhead and drops a person down into our camp. Immediately Peter stops playing the music and while the others continue to dance I hurry over to the newcomer to check on them._

" _Hey, are you ok? That was quite the fall." I say as I make my way over. The shadow has brought several boys here since I've arrived and out of all of them, only one has stayed, but the rest usually go home after spending one night here._

 _I place my hand on the newcomer's shoulder and turn them over to reveal their face, only to gasp when I see that it's a girl. She appears to be close to my age with honey brown hair and soft brown eyes. She inspects me closely and then looks around the clearing, smiling at all the lost boys dancing._

 _The shadow has never brought a girl during my entire time staying here, so seeing one now is shocking to say the least. "Is this Neverland?" She asks, and I hear an accent in her words. "I'm Wendy Darling!"_

" _Welcome to Neverland!" Peter boasts and bows before her. "I'm Peter Pan." He flashes his best smile and then offers her his hand. Jealously runs through me as I watch him show her around camp, talking animatedly. Meanwhile, Wendy seems to be completely enamored with him, watching him with adoring eyes as she takes in every word he says._

" _Careful Karina." Felix whispers in my ear. The smirk on his face tells me he's loving every minute of my jealously. "You don't want to become green with envy, do you?"_

" _She needs to go now." I growl, my hands curling into fists at my side._

" _Well, she won't be going anywhere if Pan likes her… Kind of like what happened with you." He raises his eyebrows and shrugs his shoulders before he turns and walks away, whistling._

 _I look back to watch Wendy with Peter and I can feel my whole body begin to tremble with my rage. All I can think is that I need to get rid of Wendy before Peter starts to like her more than he likes me._

…

 _I'm startled awake by the sound of a boy yelling. Quickly I get to my feet and dress, rushing down the steps of my treehouse and into the clearing. Sitting at Peter's feet is a boy that is probably around the same age as me, light brown hair and brown eyes, he's tall and has a sweet face._

 _However, his sweet face is currently being contorted by the anger he is displaying. I realize now that he's the one whose yelling woke me up. "Let me go! I don't want anything to do with magic. I want to go back to the Darlings."_

 _I raise an eyebrow and walk over to stand next to Peter. Wendy Darling had been here only a few short nights ago, but she couldn't handle the sound of the children crying and was sent home so the shadow could bring back one of her brothers. I suppose this boy is one of those brothers._

 _Peter seems to find the boy amusing and I know he probably has no intention of letting him go. This boy has just become another piece of Peter's games and he'll be lucky if he ever gets off the island._

" _But you haven't even seen what Neverland has to offer!" Peter teases, stretching his arms out wide and giving him an expectant look. It's as if Peter expects the boy to suddenly start begging Peter to let him explore the mysterious island._

" _I'm obviously not the one you're looking for. That guy said so." The boy nods towards Felix who is leaning against a tree, a piece of parchment folded up in his hand. His face is hard as he stares down the boy. "So you can let me go now."_

" _Oh I think not." Peter grins and bends down until his face is level with the tied up boy's. "You see, the games have just begun."_

… _._

" _Come on, Bae! Can you be any slower?!" I giggle as I run through the trees. Behind me Baelfire stomps through bushes, making as much noise as a wild boar. Baelfire hasn't been in Neverland long, so he still hasn't learned how to move on this island, but he seems exceptionally loud._

" _Why don't you slow down?" Baelfire asks, grinning from ear to ear despite his heavy breathing._

" _Never! I'm a free spirit!" I shout, throwing my arms out as I continue to run through the trees, artfully dodging any low hanging branches and jumping over roots sticking out of the ground._

 _Peter took Felix and the other lost boys on some mission he didn't want me involved in. He had said "it's nothing that a lady should be involved in". When I tried to complain, telling him I am a lost girl who can handle anything, he got very serious and told me not to question him. So as if he is trying to apologize for leaving me behind, he let Baelfire stay behind with me to keep me company._

 _So now the two of us are running through the woods of Neverland, in search of an adventure. Well, I'm in search of an adventure. I think Bae is simply trying to keep up with me._

" _I don't want to ruin… Your free spirit… Thing…. But can we stop so I can catch my breath? At least for a few minutes?" Bae asks, placing his hands on his knees and bending over as he tries to catch his breath._

" _Oh, fine." I pout but quickly grin after that to show him I am only kidding. "I guess I'm just used to trying to keep up with Peter, so it doesn't bother me as much anymore."_

" _What's going on there?" Bae asks after a long pause between us. I raise my eyebrows, silently asking him to elaborate. "Between you and Peter. Do you like him or something?"_

 _I feel my cheeks flush a deep scarlet red and I immediately look away. While it's true Peter has kissed me a few times, we've never done anything beyond that. Not to mention, Peter hasn't said anything about returning my feelings. He did make me my own treehouse, close to his own when I first got here, using his magic to give me all the comforts I requested. But that didn't mean he likes me like I like him. I may dream about him every night and spend every single day thinking about him, but that doesn't mean he does the same._

 _Despite Baelfire being my friend I'm not sure if I should tell him about my feelings. He could tell Peter and then he'll just turn it into one of his games. I don't want my feelings for him to be turned into some sick, twisted game. So I decide to play innocent. "What? No! Of course not."_

 _Bae shoots me a knowing look. "You paused way too long in between my question and your response."_

" _I did not!" I cry indignantly, stomping my foot like a child. "Don't be stupid." I carefully try to avoid look at Baelfire as he gives me a dry look._

" _Well if you don't like Peter than I was actually born a mouse." Baelfire replies sarcastically and I glare at him._

" _Well so what if I do? It's not like anything will come of it. He's kissed me a few times, but that's it. He probably just thinks I'm some little kid."_

" _I doubt that." Bae mutters and I look at him curiously. Seeing me watching him he sighs and continues, "If you saw the way he watches you when you're not looking you wouldn't think he doesn't have any feelings for you."_

" _So you think he likes me?" I ask excitedly._

" _I didn't say that." Baelfire says and my hope drops. "I think the feelings he has for you are more intense than that… He looks at you like you're some kind of object he doesn't want to share with anyone else."_

…

" _Where do you think you're going?" Peter asks me, his green eyes narrowed in suspicion._

 _I stop walking and turn to look at him, sighing heavily. "Out to hunt." It sounds more like a question and I hate it. It makes it sound like I'm asking him for his permission to go provide food for myself and the others. Bae's words come back to me, the ones saying Peter looks at me like I'm something he wants to own._

 _Peter smirks and takes a step towards me, he seems to be inspecting me and trying to tell whether or not I am lying to him. I roll my eyes and place my hands on my hips, shooting him an annoyed expression._

 _Faster than a striking viper Peter reaches out and grips my arms, pulling me until my chest is pressed against his. Slowly, I look up at him from underneath my lashes and find that his lips are pulled back over his teeth in a nasty smile and his eyes hold a dangerous glint. Slowly he leans his head down until his lips are at my ear. "Don't forget that I'm in charge… So I suggest that you show me some respect."_

 _I duck my head and look around through a curtain of my dark hair at the lost boys. Everyone seems to be fully aware of the situation unfolding before them, but they are all careful to look away… All of them but two. Baelfire and Rufio. The two boys watch us with varying degrees of disgust and anger displayed on their faces. I expected such a reaction from Bae who has made it very clear about his feelings of hatred towards Peter, but I didn't expect such feelings from Rufio. I haven't spoken to him much, he's quieter than most of the other boys, but he's always been kind to me and has always had a friendly smile to send my way._

" _Can I go?" I ask quietly, my discomfort from Peter's show of force is growing and I want nothing more than to flee the scene._

 _Peter places his fingers underneath my chin and lifts my face until I am looking up at him. He smiles nastily and brushes my hair out of my face. His actions are gentle but I know the intent behind them is anything but. "Of course you can." He replies charismatically, like an evil king trying to win over distrusting peasants. "Hurry back though, I have plans for us." He let's go of me and slowly backs away, his face contorted by an evil grin._

 _I scurry to the edge of the campsite and past it, through the trees. I rub my arms, trying to soothe their soreness but also chase away the chill Peter had left. My breathing comes to me in short, shaky gasps and I barely pay attention to where I'm walking, resulting in me stumbling several times._

 _Without warning my foot catches on a lifted tree root and I pitch forward, landing on the hard earth floor. Instead of pushing myself up I simply lie on the ground and curl into a ball, my tears rolling down my heated cheeks silently._

 **A/N:** Well I hope I gave Peter Pan's character justice. This chapter ended up being longer than I was expecting it to be, so I've split it into two parts. I will post the second half in a few days once I've had the time to go over it and edit. I know I promised Pan's first real appearance in the next chapter, but it will unfortunately have to wait one more, sorry!

Another thing, which is pretty important to the storyline… Peter will not be Rumplestiltskin's father. I cannot stress to you how much I hated that in the show, so it will not be like that in my story. I'm sorry to anyone who liked that idea, but I've already made up my mind how Peter will fit into the story in another way.

Please take a moment to review!


	14. Chapter Twelve: Part Two

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Twelve: Part Two ~**

" _Felix, do you know where Peter is always going? I mean, he just disappears for an entire day sometimes, but never says where he went. I've tried asking him but he won't tell me. I figure out of everyone else, you'd know where he was going." I inspect the taller, blonde boy carefully as he stalks through the tall grass ahead of me, searching for tonight's supper._

 _Felix and I had been sent out to hunt down our dinner for the night. Well, I volunteered and then Felix decided to come with me in case "I messed it up". Since being in Neverland I've gotten remarkably good at fighting and my aim has become almost perfect. I can throw a spear and aim with a bow and arrow better than the other lost boys, which makes me ideal for hunting food. However, Felix refuses to acknowledge my much improved skills, despite the fact that he's been the one who taught them to me; which is how the two of us ended up hunting together._

" _I don't know." Felix replies shortly, not once turning to look at me as his eyes are trained ahead of him. I start to roll my eyes at his lack of an answer just as he turns around to look at me. Immediately I straighten up and try to smile innocently. My act doesn't work on him though and he sighs heavily. "Look, Karina, I can't tell you, so don't ask."_

 _Felix and I have a strange relationship. We hated each other when I first got here and then when I fought him and won (Felix pretends that I didn't because Peter stepped in, but I definitely did) Felix started to respect me. Now, we're not exactly best friends, but I think it's safe to say that he likes me and respects me more than the others. The two of us spend enough time together, either hunting or helping run the camp when Peter isn't around. The two of us have definitely formed some sort of relationship, as weird as it may seem to an outsider._

" _Well why can't you tell me?" I push stepping forward until I'm right behind Felix. He gives me a sharp look and places his fingers to his lips and then points towards the clearing not too far ahead of us. I look up and see a huge boar sniffing its way through the open space._

 _Felix smirks as I raise my bow and notch an arrow. I narrow my eyes and aim, the arrow head pointing directly at the boar's heart. I'm certain that it won't feel a single thing; it will be a quick and painless death. It probably won't even know what's happening until it's too late. With that thought in mind, I release the arrow and send it flying through the air. The boar squeals and then falls to the floor, dead._

" _Good shot." Felix mutters begrudgingly as he stands tall and walks over to the dead boar. I follow behind Felix, trying very hard not to gloat, though I'm sure Felix gets the hint from the gigantic grin on my face._

" _So, back to what I was saying earlier…" I begin and I hear Felix sigh as he leans down and rips the arrow out of the boar's chest. He chucks the arrow to the ground and throws the boar's body over his shoulder._

 _As if he's determined to ignore me, Felix starts walking back in the direction of camp, not once bothering to acknowledge that I had just spoken to him. I purse my lips into a thin angry line and hurry after him. "Why won't you tell me?"_

" _Because I can't."_

" _Can't or won't?" I step into Felix's path and stop both of us. With narrowed eyes I place my hands on my hips, to show Felix that I'm serious about getting an answer._

" _Both." He replies and pushes past me. I growl and turn to rush after him when Felix stops in his tracks and turns around to face me. "Karina, let it go." Something in his gaze and his tone stops me from asking any further questions. I open and close my mouth a few times before finally I keep it closed, looking down at the ground desolately. Felix sighs again and then turns and walks off, leaving me completely confused._

… _._

" _Wanna come for a swim?" A mermaid asks me, smiling mischievously. I stop walking and turn to inspect the creature. Obviously, being a mermaid she is absolutely gorgeous. Long, blonde hair and violet coloured eyes. Her skin shines under the moonlight and her fin seems to match the colour of her eyes. She cocks her head to the side and continues to smile, though something in it tells me to stay away._

 _I've heard about mermaids. My father had told me about them when I was younger and although he made it clear that mermaids aren't very nice, I still wanted to be one. Then when I came to Neverland, one of the lost boys, Rufio, reaffirmed what my father had already told me so many years ago. They can't be trusted. They'll smile to your face and then drag you down under water and drown you. Although, the ones who lived in Neverland supposedly adore Peter, so they're willing to be nice to the lost boys to get to Peter._

 _Even so, I know I shouldn't stop. These mermaids may be nicer than others (though I'm still not convinced that I believe Rufio on that fact) but that doesn't mean they've turned their backs on their nature. Mermaids are killers, plain and simple; which means I should just keep walking. "I have to get back to camp, Peter's waiting for me." I tell her and jerk my thumb over my shoulder. She looks like she isn't going to say anything else as she shrugs her shoulders and slinks back into her water so I start walking again._

 _As I walk along the shoreline I notice the mermaid following me, not saying anything as she smiles in that creepy way of hers. I start to feel more and more awkward the longer I walk with her following me until finally I have enough. I stop and turn to face the mermaid, my face set into an annoyed mask. "Is there a reason you're following me?"_

" _I just wanted to see what you looked like." The mermaid shrugs her shoulders innocently._

" _Why?"_

" _Well I was talking with the others and none of us can figure out what Peter sees in you to make you a lost girl… I came to see what could be so special about you." She cocks her head to the side and makes a face as if I disgust her._

 _I grind my teeth together and try to ignore her comments as I start to see red. She's obviously trying to get a rise out of me, her comments suggest as much. Fortunately for her I know I need to get back before Peter gets angry. I don't have the time to stop and gut her like a fish. I count to ten in my head and then turn and start to walk away without a word._

" _Don't walk away from me." The mermaid hisses and then suddenly I'm splashed with a bunch of water._

 _I spin around and gape at her, my wet hair and clothes clinging to my body. "Are you insane?!" I demand, too shocked to come up with any other response. The mermaid's answer is to reach towards me and grab my ankle. With a sharp tug I fall and land on my back with a loud thud. The air gets knocked out of my lungs and I'm paralyzed for a moment, giving the mermaid the perfect opportunity to drag me halfway into the water before I finally gain my senses back._

 _I open my mouth and scream, praying Peter will hear it and then I start to fight the mermaid with everything I have in me. However, I feel another set of hands grab onto my legs and I realize that another mermaid has joined the blonde and now the two of them are working to drag me under._

 _Growing up as the daughter of a pirate I had never been afraid of the water. In fact, the ocean is just a part of who I am and I was taught long ago that I should respect it and all it holds, but it's not something to fear. However, right now as I am quickly losing the fight to keep myself on shore and away from the clutches of the mermaids, a fear of drowning comes rushing forward and grips my heart._

 _I twist around and try to grab onto anything that will help pull me back to land and away from the mermaids. I kick my legs and smile in satisfaction when my foot connects with one of the mermaid's chests. I hear her grunt and for a moment I have the upper hand and I'm able to pull myself up. That doesn't last long though and then the two are pulling me back in. Only this time before they can actually drag me all the way in, the blonde erupts into flames._

 _She screams and dives underwater to try and stop the flames, but when she comes back up, she's still on fire and screaming horrifically. Her friend gapes in terror and looks like she's going to swim away when suddenly she too erupts into flames just like her friend. Soon the dying screams of the mermaids are all that can be heard as they claw at their own skin and try in vain to stop the fire._

 _I scramble back and then look up to see Peter standing over me, his expression furious. Behind him, Felix, Baelfire and Rufio are all watching the scene before them. Baelfire and Rufio look horrified as Felix smirks. "T-Thanks…" I stutter and wrap my arms around my trembling form._

" _What am I going to do with you?" Peter asks and shakes his head. "It seems like every time I turn my back you're getting into some kind of trouble."_

 _I scoff. "I am not!" Peter gives the water behind me that is now looking calm and almost inviting a pointed look. I choose not to say anything else to that because I know he's sort of right._

" _Karina, are you ok?" Rufio asks worriedly, his wide dark eyes impossibly wider from his worry._

" _I'm fine Rufio, thanks." I smile at him to reassure him that I am truly ok. Then I look at Peter to find him staring at Rufio, his nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed. I grab onto the front of Peter's shirt and give it a slight tug, calling his attention back to me. Rufio seems relieved to have Peter's intense gaze off of him. "I'm cold… Take me back to camp?" Peter nods his head and wraps his arms around me, almost possessively, and leads me back to camp._

… _.._

" _Where is everybody?" I ask, looking around the camp to find it completely empty except for Peter. I hadn't been in my treehouse for very long and yet I come back and everyone is gone. I walk over to where Peter is currently sitting on one of the tree stumps, sharpening one of his daggers._

" _I sent them out hunting." He replies as he holds up the dagger and inspects it against the firelight._

 _I raise an eyebrow. "All of them?" There are a couple dozen lost boys. That wouldn't make for a very discreet hunting party. I'll be surprised if they catch anything at all._

" _Yes." Peter replies simply. "Because you and I need to talk and I didn't feel like having any listeners." I sit down next to him, watching him work on the dagger. He moves confidently, not in the least bit afraid of slipping and cutting himself._

" _Wouldn't it have just been easier for us to leave rather than send them all away?" I ask as I tuck a strand of my dark hair behind my ear._

" _Probably." Peter replies shortly and I turn to inspect him, curious as to why he's acting so strangely. He's been behaving like this for days now; ever since I was attacked by those mermaids. Everyone's noticed Peter's shift in attitude, but no one dares to say anything about it._

 _I wait a few minutes, waiting to see if he'll say anything, but he stays silent. Licking my lips I say, "So what do you want to talk about?" I turn to look at him and jump when I find him staring at me, or more precisely, staring at my lips._

 _Without warning he drops the dagger and cups my face, dragging my lips to his and enveloping me in his warm embrace. Excitement courses through me and I climb into Peter's lap, wrapping my legs around his waist. Peter moves his hands from my face and moves it down to my butt, holding me as closely to him as he can manage. He growls and bites my lip, drawing blood. Then he sucks on the blood until my lip stops bleeding. Meanwhile I'm running my fingers through his hair, relishing in all the sensations currently assaulting me and my senses._

 _Peter finally pulls back and I feel like I'm floating on a cloud as he grips the base of my neck and brings our foreheads together. Both of us are breathing heavily at this point and Peter grins wickedly. "You're mine. Anyone that tries to hurt you in anyway will suffer the same fate as the mermaids. I'm never letting you go."_

" _Then you're mine too." I grin and tangle my fingers in his, getting a good grip on it so when I pull it causes him pain. "I'll kill anyone that tries to take you away from me. I really will kill them."_

 _Peter grins maliciously, "My, my. When did my little lost girl become so dark?" I can tell by the look on his face that he is thoroughly enjoying my newfound darkness._

" _I've always been dark… But those mermaids tried to kill me. I don't want to be anyone else's victim anymore. I want to be the one doing the killing from now on. I want to be able to see the fear in other people's eyes and know that my eyes will never reflect that look. I've spent too much time in my life being a victim to others, I'm done with that. I wanna be bad." I grin and Peter chuckles darkly._

" _And so you shall be." With that, Peter brings his lips to mine again, sealing our promise to one another. That night, Peter took me to his bed and we each claimed our ownership over the other._

…

" _So who exactly is this prisoner?" I ask Felix as the two of us head down the path, away from camp and towards the prisoner area. The prisoner area really just being a place with cages hanging from trees._

" _Someone you can't tell anyone about. Understand?" Felix sets me with a hard look and I can't help but roll my eyes._

" _Don't worry about me, Felix. Peter told me this prisoner needs to be kept a secret from everyone. I'm not going to ignore that." I say this just as we arrive at the prisoner area. Peter is standing there with Rufio, grinning down into a cage. However, his smile is anything but friendly and I'm curious to see who could be in the cage._

 _I step forward and gasp when I see Wendy Darling looking up at me with her wide brown eyes. My initial shock quickly wears off and I can't help but smirk at the girl. "Well, well… Wendy Darling in a cage. Isn't this a surprise?"_

" _Like my present?" Peter smiles mischievously at me and I bite my lip, nodding my head excitedly._

" _You know just what I like." I wrap my arms around his waist and hug him. "Though, I think I'd like it better if you would let me kill her?" I hear Wendy whimper and I know she heard me._

" _No can do, I need her alive if I'm going to give her brothers any incentive to do my dirty work." Peter shakes his head and I start to pout, though to his credit he does look like he regrets not giving in and letting me kill her._

" _Please…" Wendy whimpers and I turn to glare at her. This girl deserves every minute of this. For every second she fawned over Peter when she was here last. She's lucky I didn't kill her then. "Please don't kill me. I was just trying to help Bae."_

" _We're not going to kill you Wendy!" Peter assures her, though his dark smile seems to suggest otherwise. "As long as your brothers do as I say we won't have any problems."_

" _And you'll let Baelfire go?" Wendy clarifies. I must admit that I do feel slightly guilty for treating someone so important to Bae so terribly, but Wendy shouldn't have crossed me by going after Peter._

" _I don't have him, Wendy." Peter sighs regretfully. "I had to let him go the first day he got here. He didn't want to be here and I wasn't going to force him."_

 _Wendy looks like she seriously doubts Peter's words and she might start to argue when Peter nods to Rufio and Felix. Felix shuts the door to the cage and then helps Rufio hoist the cage up high into the trees._

" _Now… Let's play."_

… _._

 _I'm running as fast as I can, my arms are pumping at my sides and my heart is pounding against my chest. I feel like my lungs are about to burst but that doesn't slow me down, in fact I push myself to run harder. I'm tempted to look behind me to see if I'm still being chased but I don't dare because I know if I do I'll trip._

 _Tree roots are sticking out of the ground everywhere and low hanging branches threaten my quick pace, but I push on, desperate to get away. Ahead of me I can see a break in trees and I know I've almost reached the cliff overlooking Skull Rock. A triumphant smile spreads across my face even as my lungs feel like they're about to explode._

 _I can smell the salt from the ocean the closer I get to the gap in the trees and I can see the moonlight shining down, lighting my path. Just as I'm about to go crashing through the trees and accepting my victory, Peter Pan steps out in front of me, a satisfied smirk on his devilish face._

 _I come to a screeching halt, practically falling back on my butt in an attempt not to crash right into him. "Really?!" I pant and lean over, placing my hands on my knees as I try to catch my breath. "How long ago did you catch up to me?"_

" _Not too long ago… You are getting better." Peter assures me and although I'm still bent over and staring at the ground I know he's grinning triumphantly because he just won once again. He never lets me win, no matter how hard I try to beat him. Though I would rather he beat me rather than let me win. I hate pity wins._

" _You didn't cheat did you?" I straighten up and narrow my eyes. Peter raises his hands in fake surrender and shakes his head, his face a mask of mischief. "Good. Because you know I hate it when you fly… That is definitely cheating."_

" _I don't think so. It's just my natural abilities at work." He says this as innocently as he dares, but I don't buy it. I shoot him a dry look and place my hands on my hips in a "really?" gesture. "Magic is part of my natural abilities!" Again, I give him the same look. "You're just mad you lost… Again."_

" _I almost won." I defend, pointing my finger at his chest._

" _No, not really." He teases, his dark green eyes impossibly darker from his excitement. That's when I notice he's focused his attention on the rapid rise and fall of my chest and the sweat trickling down my neck and slipping down the front of my shirt._

 _I raise an eyebrow and snap my fingers in front of my chest, catching his attention. "So you won, come get your prize." I stretch my arms out and he needs no further invitation. He takes one quick step towards me and places his hands on my hips. He pushes me back into a tree and smiles charmingly down at me._

" _One of these days I should let you win… I would love to see what you come up with as your prize." He muses and runs the back of his hand down the side of my face. He traces my jaw bone and then holds my chin between his thumb and forefinger._

" _Why? Getting bored with your lack of imagination?" I tease and arch my back until my front is pressed against his. Peter growls as I work my hips against his and then he pushes me back against the tree again, pressing me firmly into the rough bark._

" _Not at all… Just interested to see what you could come up with. I did destroy any innocence you once had and now I want to see what this darker side of you can come up with." His mischief charms me as he seems lost in his own pondering. I run my hands over his chest which seems to pull him from his thoughts because he grins down at me. "No matter, I won this time… So this is my prize." With that he leans down and presses his lips to mine._

 _Just like that I get lost in him and everything that he is. My thoughts turn to mush and my whole body feels like its floating. My love for him explodes in my chest and all I know is that I never want to leave his side._

 **A/N:** I couldn't resist slipping in a playful scene between Pan and Karina! Also, just a heads up to any Wendy fans out there, I really don't like her character so Karina isn't going to be too nice to her in this story. I've always found her character to be annoying. More flashbacks will be coming! Flashbacks in Neverland, Karina with Hook, and Karina's life as a pirate.

Next chapter, Pan will definitely make an official appearance. I promise for real this time!

Please take a moment to review!


	15. Chapter Thirteen

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Thirteen ~**

The portal opens, spitting us out onto a beach. I land on my stomach, jarring my chin on the ground painfully. With whatever drugs Greg and Tamara used on me still in my system I find that my body is practically useless, although I have feeling in all of my limbs, my world spins too much for me to do anything with it.

Henry, however, is drug free and only has the pesky problem of having his hands tied. I decide he is in a much better situation than I am. "Henry, run!" I cry, spitting sand out of my mouth. Thankfully, the kid wastes no time in heeding my advice and jumps to his feet, his eyes set on the treeline before him.

Noticing Henry trying to make an escape, Greg grabs him by his collar, dragging him back towards us. "Slow down, pal. You've got nowhere to go." Henry shoots me a helpless look and despite the spinning in my head I try my best to get to my feet.

"We made it. Mission accomplished." Tamara exclaims, her wet hair clinging to her face. She looks around with a bright smile and as I get to my knees I also look around, curious as to where we are. It's dark out and the moon hangs high in the sky. Behind me, a large body of water stretches out farther than I can see and in front of me a long line of trees is set out before me. I can hear strange sounds calling out into the night air and the humid temperature to the air brings me some discomfort.

Horror sets in as I manage to get to my feet. I shake my head several times, trying to clear it, before I slowly spin around, confirming that we are in fact where I think we are.

"Are you sure about that?" Henry asks Tamara, his young face set in determination. "Because my mom is coming to get me… _Both_ of them."

"Yea, well you might want to take a look around, kid… Do you see any clock towers?" Greg gestures around the beach, pointing out the fact that there definitely isn't any clock towers nearby. "You're a long way from Storybrooke."

"It doesn't matter!" Henry insists. "My family's been to the Enchanted Forest before and they can get here again."

Suddenly the sound of a horn calls out into the night, the sound of the Lost Ones going on a hunt. Tamara looks around, smirking at the sound. "Well this isn't the Enchanted Forest, this is-,"

"Neverland." I cut her off, my eyes wide with horror. "We're in Neverland."

"Neverland?" Henry gasps, looking from me to Greg and Tamara. "You're here to destroy Neverland?"

"It's the motherlode of magic." Tamara explains as she turns to Greg who is rifling through one of their backpacks. "Where's the communicator? We need to signal the home office."

"Here you go, T." Greg hands a walkie talkie to her.

"An office in the jungle, huh, who works there?" Henry asks, his intelligence refusing to allow him to believe the lies Greg and Tamara have been fed.

Greg gets to his feet and puts the backpack over his shoulders. "Who we work for is not your concern, kid. Just know that they take care of us."

"Do they? Can they tell you how to get home after you've destroyed magic?" Henry asks and I see a dangerous look flash across Greg's eyes.

He leans down until he's right in Henry's face. "We don't ask questions. We just believe in our cause."

I notice Tamara has stopped fiddling with the walkie talkie moments before she says, "Greg… I'm not getting a status light on this thing." She hands it to her partner who opens the back and only sand falls out.

I heave a heavy sigh and roll my eyes, my suspicions confirmed. From the moment I realized we were in Neverland and Greg started spouting about their 'home office' I knew that it was all a bunch of lies. Pan must be using these two like puppets in order to get Henry to Neverland and apparently kidnap me as well. I should have known that the peace I had in Storybrooke wouldn't last long. He was just biding his time.

"What the hell is this? A toy?" Tamara asks. _Yes, that's exactly what it is. Because you two have been used as puppets for the boy who loves games._

"It's a good thing you guys don't ask questions." Henry states with way too much sarcasm in his tone for a boy his age. Both Greg and Tamara turn to Henry, equal looks of fury written all across their faces.

"Let's go." Greg says. "Walk!" Henry walks of his own accord and Greg grabs my arm and starts pushing me forward. I stumble along beside him as the drugs make their way through my system. I can feel them starting to wear off and I know that once they do and I get my hand on a weapon, Greg and Tamara won't stand a chance against me. If I can only keep Henry safe long enough for us to get to Tinkerbell, she might have a way for me to get him home before Pan gets his hands on him.

 _Come on, Karina. Don't be stupid. You know you can never hide from him, not in his own home. Both you and Henry will be dead before you even get a chance to run._ With a firm shake of my head I try to block my thoughts out, hoping that if I ignore the truth it will simply go away, replaced by a new truth that I like better.

As the four of us walk through the forest and my drugs start to wear off more and more, I can't help my regular problem-causing self from coming to the service. "So tell me, are you two just naturally stupid that you believed in a home office you probably never laid eyes on yourself… Or is it something you have to work at in life through constant stupid behaviour?" I turn to smirk at Greg.

I barely see his hand coming until it collides with the side of my head. Still feeling a little dizzy I'm unable to keep myself upright and end up falling to the ground. "Mother fu…" I start and then notice Henry standing just a few feet away, watching me with wide fearful eyes. I clamp my mouth shut and allow Greg to haul me to my feet.

"Are you done?" Greg seethes.

"Being hilarious?" I reply, grinning despite the pain. "I'm afraid that's just not possible." Greg looks like he's about to hit me again and I brace myself for the pain, but Tamara surprisingly stops him with a firm shake of her head.

Not much longer into our walk we reach a small clearing which Greg decides is a good place to set up camp. He gets to work starting a fire while Tamara paces back and forth. Meanwhile, Henry comes to sit beside me, his gaze filled with concern. I shake my head and smile lightly as I wrap an arm around his shoulder, pulling him close.

I'm tempted to untie his hands but I'm afraid what Greg and Tamara will do. I don't care what they do to me, because I can take it. I've had much worse done to me than these two could ever think up. However, I'm worried about what they might do to Henry. Until I'm completely myself again, I can't fully protect him, so until then I have to lie low.

"We making smores?" Henry asks sarcastically and I don't bother to hide my smile or small giggle.

"You've been spending way too much time with me. You're becoming a sarcastic person… One or both of your mothers will not be pleased." I grin at Henry and he smiles back, seemingly glad that I'm starting to act more like myself

"No." Greg replies moments later, his gaze filled with disapproval. "We're building a signal… We need to let the home office know we're here."

"What if that's not enough? What if the empty communicator wasn't an accident?" Tamara asks, her arms folded over her chest.

I grin and point at her, "Well give the lady a prize! She's finally seeing through her blind stupidity!"

"Don't let these kids get into your head." Greg says strongly. But seconds after that strength comes tumbling down when the sound of someone coming through the trees to our left catches our attention. Immediately I jump to my feet and pull Henry with me.

That's when Felix emerges from the depths of the jungle, lost boys flanking his sides. He's still carrying that gigantic club and his gruesome scar going across his left eye practically glows in the moonlight. He hasn't changed one bit.

Meanwhile, the lost boys have appeared to have changed. While there are still plenty that I recognize, there are a few that I have yet to meet and my guess is Peter brought them in after I left all those years ago. The ones who don't know me will be harder to fight, because they won't have the same connections to me as the others… I won't be able to use their old familial ties to me as a way to fight them. I'll have to get creative.

"Who are you?" Greg asks, looking at each boy with wide eyes.

"We're the home office!" Felix exclaims incredulously, as if he can't believe that Greg even has to ask. He stretches his arms out and gestures around the clearing. "Welcome to Neverland."

"The home office is a bunch of teenagers?" Tamara asks.

I throw my head back and roll my eyes. "Oh my God, woman! Just when I was starting to think you had some intelligence."

"They're not teenagers… They're the lost boys." Henry explains for me, looking at all the new faces.

"Well look at that…" Felix muses and points his club at Henry.

"Why do the lost boys want to destroy magic?" Henry asks, looking to Felix for answers.

"Who said we want to destroy it?" Felix cocks his head to the side as a slow grin spreads across his face.

"That was our mission." Greg steps towards Felix.

"So you were told, yes… Now those two, hand them over." Felix nods his head at Henry and I. Immediately I push Henry behind me and Felix's eyes narrow. Greg and Tamara also move to stand in front of both of us.

"Not until you tell us the plan… For magic, for getting home." Tamara tries to convey danger in her tone, but it has little effect on the lost boys.

Felix smiles maliciously and then whispers, "You're not getting home."

"Then you're not getting these two." Greg replies angrily. Despite the anger in his voice I can tell by his posture that he is afraid and so he should be. He and Tamara are about to die a brutal death.

Felix laughs like Greg said something funny. "Of course we are."

Dark laughter rises from the group of lost boys just as Peter's shadow descends from the sky, ripping Greg's shadow off of him before he even has a chance to run. A twisted scream claws its way out of his mouth before he drops dead to the ground.

"Run!" Tamara yells and I push Henry forward. Some of the lost boys try to chase after him but I throw myself into their path. I grab two of their heads, hitting them together so hard they both fall to the floor unconscious. I notice Tamara tries to run when an arrow is shot and hits her directly in her back. She falls to the ground.

I pick up one of the rocks off the floor and swing it, bashing one of the other boy's in the head. That's when something hits me in the back, knocking me down. A rough hand grabs my shoulder and turns me around. I look up to see Felix sneering down at me. "Just like old times, huh, Karina?"

"You couldn't be more right, Felix!" I grin and then use the rock I'd been holding to start bashing it against Felix's temple. He shouts and falls back, clutching his face. "You never could beat me, old friend!" I grin and kick him in the stomach. Then I turn and race towards the direction Henry had gone. I can hear the sound of lost boys chasing after him, but it seems to grow more and more distant.

Cursing myself I practically run in circles until all the noise is gone and I can't hear them anymore. I know I've lost the trail and my hopes of finding Henry alive have dwindled drastically.

I curse myself some more and then decide that I'm going to need to regroup and find some weapons if I'm going to continue looking for Henry. With that in mind I make my way down a path I've memorized that will take me to a familiar place. Despite the jungle seeming to have grown in the years that I've been gone, specific landmarks that have been here since before I even arrived guide my way, making it fairly easy for me to find my way around. As I walk I can't help but fall into a recognizable pattern. It's the kind of pattern one falls into when they've been gone from home for a very long time and when they get back their muscles just fall into old habits.

I'm careful to keep my ears straining for any hint of sound and my eyes on the lookout for any demonic boys with mischievous grins. My walk remains fairly uneventful with no sounds to be heard and no boys to be seen. However, once I start walking along the shores of the lagoon I am greeted by the sound of giggles. "Why don't you come play, Karina?" One of the mermaids asks, grinning slyly. Her sisters giggle and some sink under water before reappearing closer to the shore.

Each mermaid is beautiful with long hair and enticing eyes, however I've been through enough wars with their kind to know to stay away. Many times during my life on Neverland me and the lost boys fought the mermaids. Sometimes the mermaids would win when they dragged a lost boy into the water to his death and other times we would win, dragging a mermaid to shore and hanging her up for her sisters to watch her slowly dry out and die. It was these wars that put a very powerful hatred between our two groups. For a very long time the mermaids tolerated the lost boys, mostly because they all liked Peter, but once I came along they saw me as a threat and because I was a lost girl, the lost boys decided to declare war on the mermaids.

"You know, I'm good… But thanks for the offer." I mutter as I continue to walk past them. If there was any other way I could have gone to avoid the mermaids, I would have. But a long time ago Peter made me a treehouse just past mermaids lagoon (he thought it would be nice for me to look out and see the water) and this path is the only path that doesn't include that nasty poison called dream shade.

"Oh, come now! It's been so long! We only want to catch up." One of the mermaids says with a pout. Her tone of voice says she's innocent, but I can see the dark twinkle in her eye, begging me to step one foot in the water so she can drag me down to my death.

"Yes, it has been quite some time. I almost forgot what the stench of rotting mermaid corpse smells like." Several of them growl while others gasp at my threat. I smirk at them, pleased to see that many of them have chosen to swim away, clearly grasping the hint that I'm not going to be easy prey.

Unfortunately, some of them decide to stick around. "Well I hope you like the stench of mermaid in your bed because while you were gone I kept your spot next to Peter _very_ warm."

Before I can even help myself I stop walking. Long ago, before I decided to leave for the Enchanted Forest that kind of comment would have sent me into a raging fit. I probably would have trapped the mermaid and then delivered the most unimaginably painful death I could think of. I had been a very jealous girlfriend and I didn't appreciate anyone even hinting at being with Peter. But now… Now I've changed and the mermaids know it. Although I know I still have the tendency to fall back into those old habits I know I won't allow myself to do so as long as Henry is on this island. I'm afraid if I turn back into who I was before I may forget just how much Henry means to me. Without me, he won't have a chance.

"Huh, I didn't know Peter was into sushi." I fake a look of disgust and the mermaid narrows her eyes. "But hey, to each their own." With a shrug of my shoulders I continue walking, glad to see the end of the lagoon just ahead of me. I pick up the pace, eager to escape her taunting when she launches herself to see on the last large boulder in the lagoon. She's so close to me either one of us could reach out and grab the other.

"Obviously he used his magic to give me legs." The mermaid snarls, clearly annoyed that I'm not behaving like she wants me to. "I don't know why you even bothered coming back here… You're old news. Peter tried me out and likes me better." She crosses her arms over her chest and shoots me a haughty look.

"Way to make yourself sound like a car." I mutter under my breath but don't bother to explain to her what a car is. Judging by her look of confusion we might be standing here for a while if I tried that. Instead I change the subject. "Clearly Peter doesn't like you as much as you think he does because he's the one who brought me here. Guess you're yesterday's catch… So don't sit out in the sun too long, you'll really start to stink."

With that being said I turn on my heel and walk away, patting myself on the back for all my fish jokes. I really love to mess with the mermaids heads and make them think that they really do stink. Considering they're creatures obsessed with their own beauty, the idea of smelling is just too much for them.

After passing the lagoon it doesn't take me long to get to the treehouse. I climb the ladder and enter inside to find that nothing has changed. Everything looks to be in the exact same place I left it so long ago. In fact, a heavy sheet of dust covers everything, giving the treehouse an older feeling than it actually is.

Peter had used his magic to make me this treehouse to give me privacy from the lost boys. It was a place the two of us would go when we wanted to be away from everyone else. In my last bit of time in Neverland I had spent a lot of time here. It became my home. Unless I was staying in Peter's treehouse this is the place I would come back to every night.

I smile faintly as I sit on my bed and look around the small treehouse. It isn't much but it's always been mine and I'm genuinely surprised that Peter left it alone for all these years. I look at the bookcase shoved against one wall and a dresser pressed against another. Lanterns hang from the ceilings and there's a chest near the entrance filled with all of my old weapons. Swords, daggers, bow and arrows, everything I used to fight with sits in it, waiting for me to come home and use them again. There's some jewelry Peter had brought back for me from other worlds sitting on the dresser and before I can help myself I am brushing them off and admiring them.

I was never a big jewelry girl until Peter started bringing some home for me. Then I began to look forward to his trips because I knew when he got back I would get a new piece to add to my collection. Although I quickly came to realize that it wasn't exactly the jewelry that made me so happy, but it was actually what they represented… Peter's affection for me. He was never the type to say the words, but he did show it in little ways… This was one of them.

I shake myself of my thoughts and turn away from the dresser. _Henry, Henry, Henry… Focus on Henry. You have to get him out of here._ I drop my clothes that are still kind of damp from coming through the portal and pick out one of my favourite outfits that I used to wear. Black leather pants, black knee high boots and a dark green off-the-shoulder T-shirt. I use a brown leather belt to pinch the shirt in at my waist and I leave my hair down and tuck a pair of daggers into my boots. I strap one of swords to my back, but decide against bringing my bow and arrow. Although I have good aim I've always liked fighting with a sword and my daggers more.

Finally, I decide that I'm ready and I climb down from the treehouse. I don't even have to turn around to know that he's standing there. The hair on the back of neck stands on end and my entire body tenses, bracing for an attack. I close my eyes for the briefest of moments, hoping that my senses are wrong and I don't have to do this so soon. I knew seeing him was going to be inevitable but I don't think I'm ready to see him now.

With a heavy sigh I turn around and come face to face with my demon, Peter Pan.

He looks the exact same as when I last saw him. Same tall, lean build and chestnut coloured hair. Same piercing green eyes and a mouth that is curved with mischief. He doesn't appear to have aged a day and seeing as he's the boy who never grows up I suppose that is a fair observation.

"Hello Karina." He smirks. He's standing too far for me to touch him, but close enough that I could probably throw my dagger and hit him… If he wasn't so good at catching anything that is thrown at him.

"Hello Peter." I reply evenly. _This is it. This is when everything comes to a head. Gold said that he was coming for me and that he was going to torture me in unimaginable ways when he found me. He told me to run, though it wouldn't do me any good… And he was right. Here we are and instead of running I stayed exactly where he wanted me to be. Now I'm faced with torture._

"You've changed…" Peter cocks his head to the side, an impish grin on his lips. "You look older. Though not by much, after all you did get caught up in that curse." I know he's stating the obvious because he wants to make it very clear to me that he knows exactly where I was. He wants to remind me just how far his power can reach.

"Yes, well, I did age two years when I was in the Enchanted Forest." I sigh and wonder when our small talk will be over with. The tension in the air is palpable.

"Yes you did…" Peter muses for a moment and then his gaze turns deadly. "You broke our deal."

"And you lied to me." Peter doesn't say anything; he simply smirks and watches me with those calculating eyes of his. Finding the silence unbearable I decide to just jump right into it. "So, will it be torture and then my death? Or did you just plan on killing me here and now?" I try to keep my tone bored but even I notice the slight quiver to it and I hate myself for it.

Peter raises his eyebrows, seemingly shocked by my words. However I know him better than that to believe he's actually surprised by the idea of torturing and killing me. "Torture you? Kill you? No, no. I'm not going to do that." He takes a step towards me and my hand itches to reach back and grab my sword. Not that it will do me much good against him. "I came here to welcome you home."

"W-What?" I stutter. Out of all the scenarios I had played out in my head when imagining our reunion, I had never expected this.

"You're right back where I want you. And now that I have Henry… The real games can begin."

 **A/N:** Finally we get to Peter's first appearance! I hope you all liked it and I hope going forward that I'm able to accurately portray the character created by the OUAT universe.

Please take a moment to review!


	16. Chapter Fourteen

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Fourteen ~**

Once Peter disappears I decide my best course of action if I can't get to Henry is to go see Tinkerbell. Other than Peter, she is the only one who has a very good idea as to what happens on this island because she is always on the lookout. Living as a fugitive in one of the most dangerous places of all the realms demands that she is constantly vigilante. Out of everyone currently on this island she is the only one I can trust to tell me the truth.

With my mind made up I decide to head towards the familiar path that leads to her treehouse. Unless something catastrophic happened in the years that I was gone, she should still be living in the same home. After my first night in Neverland when Peter came to get me, Tinkerbell made sure to back off, only coming out of the shadows and becoming my friend again when Peter began to trust me.

Just like getting to my own treehouse, the path there is familiar and barely takes me any time at all. I take in the scenery around me, noting what has changed and what hasn't. The forest seems to have grown, but the main features are still the same, things that have probably been here since before even Peter got here.

I just make it to Tinkerbell's treehouse and I'm staring up at it when the ex-fairy herself appears behind me with a dagger at my throat. "Now, is that anyway to welcome an old friend?" I ask and raise an eyebrow. I don't move and I don't reach for my own dagger. I simply stand as limp as I dare, waiting for her to release me.

"I never thought we were friends." Tinkerbell replies and drops her dagger, her tone is surly but when I turn to look at her I can see the impish grin she is fighting to keep off her face.

"It's been a long time, Tink." I reach for her and in a second we are hugging one another tightly. Her familiar scent of rain and lilies mingle together and assault my senses, once again giving me another thing to remind myself of being home.

"My God, I've missed you." Tinkerbell laughs quietly, her arms tightening their grip around me. I smile and tighten my own grip in return to show her that these feelings are mutual. When we pull back she grabs my hand and smiles at me. "I can't believe you aren't dead."

"Same here... You know he already came to see me?"

"I figured as much. That boy doesn't waste any time." Tinkerbell mutters, shaking her head angrily. "So are you going to help that boy or Peter?"

"You were watching us when we got here." I don't even need to form my words into a question because there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that she was watching us. Something as big as a portal opening and four newcomers jumping out isn't something that would slip past her notice. This means she must have seen the way I was with Henry and after hearing all my declarations of love for Peter and listening to the plan we had formed to get Henry's heart, Tinkerbell is probably curious about what I plan to do.

"Something like that doesn't exactly slip my notice…" Tinkerbell gestures to the ladder leading up to her home and the two of us climb up inside, settling down on her bed.

"Yea, well I'm not going to help him kill Henry. As much as I'm sure he wants me to. That twisted little imp is always looking for the darkest games to play." I twist my mouth into frown, looking down at my hands. "But this is actually why I came to you. I need you to tell me if you've seen any other newcomers recently."

When she doesn't answer right away I look up to see her trying very hard to look innocent. When she notices me giving her a look she sighs heavily. "Yes, there are new people here, probably the exact same people you are looking for." I jump to my feet, ready to go find Emma and the rest of them when Tinkerbell jumps up with me and grabs my arm. "Karina, wait… Be very sure that you want to do this."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that these people are making themselves enemies of Pan with every step they take on this island. You and Pan may not be on the best of terms right now, but you and I both know that you won't be harmed as long as you're here… The moment you align yourself with them, you'll be making yourself his enemy." Tinkerbell tries to plead with me from her deep green eyes, but I find I'm unable to do what she wants.

"I'm sorry, Tink. But I can't let him kill Henry." I tug my arm out of her grasp and she doesn't say another word as I descend from her treehouse and set out in search of Emma and whoever else she decided to bring with her.

I spend more time than I care to admit looking for them. With many parts of the island having grown, there are some areas that are unfamiliar to me and because of that I got lost a few times. Though with all my time searching it gave me an excellent opportunity to think about what Tinkerbell had said. She told me that I'm safe as long as I don't align myself with Emma and the others. But how can I not? I've grown to care about Henry like he's my little brother and now that I know he's Baelfire's son, I can't do that to him. I can't kill his son. Bae and I were far too close when he was here in Neverland.

However, if Emma or anyone else were to find out that I had been planning to murder Henry before I even met him… That bond of trust I had formed with them all will be shattered instantly. And if I had already angered Peter by siding with them, I will be an outsider trapped in between two warring groups. No one will trust me and I could end up like Tinkerbell, living alone in a treehouse in the middle of the woods… Or I could end up even worse.

With the way Peter loves his games he could easily tell Emma or anyone else about my past and then it will be all over. I've tried so hard to keep my past a secret from everyone and now that I'm home that can all be destroyed with a few words.

Suddenly the sound of shouting pulls me from my thoughts. I run in the direction of the noise and come to a clearing where the lost boys are fighting Emma, her parents, my father and Regina. Peter stands off to the side in Henry's clothes, watching with a smug smile on his face.

I take in the entire scene before me in a matter of seconds and when I see a lost boy running at Emma's back, a dagger in his hand, my mind is instantly made up. I jump into the fray and tackle the boy to the ground. He's one of the new recruits so I don't recognize him as the two of us roll down the hill, throwing punches every chance we get. "Karina!" I hear my father gasp in shock when he sees me. The others freeze for a moment, just as shocked and even some of the lost boys who know me well seem unsure what to do.

Then a low whistle calls the lost boys back and I get off the one I had pinned to the ground. Each boy rushes to Peter's side and as I get up and look at Peter I can see the betrayal in his eyes. He hides it well from those who don't know him, but for me I can see that my actions will not be easily forgiven. He had truly thought that I was going to come back and everything was going to be as it was.

"Remember what I told you… That map will show you where Henry is, only when you stop denying who you really are." Peter says all of this to Emma, a wicked grin on his lips. "I'll make sure to send Henry your regards." He starts to walk away, but not before his eyes stray to look at me, a warning in his gaze that tells me the two of us will be having a very unpleasant conversation in the near future.

Once Pan and the lost boys are gone everyone turns to me. "Where's Henry?" Emma asks immediately. Everyone crowds around me until I am in the middle of their circle.

"I don't know." I grimace and Regina narrows her eyes.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Regina snarls. "You were with him when they dragged you into the portal. What happened between then and now that you lost him? Are you that incompetent that you can't hold onto one boy long enough for us to get to you?"

"Regina." My father warns, giving the Evil Queen a dangerous look.

"I'm sorry, but from where I'm standing you don't seem to be doing so well against Pan yourselves." I turn to face Regina with my hands on my hips and my chin sticking out defiantly. The Evil Queen at least has the decency to look slightly sheepish over my own accusation. "I held onto him for as long as I could and then Pan and the lost boys showed and I fought them so Henry could get away. I lost him and then went looking for him, but I found you guys instead." I decide to leave out all the details in between, such as my meetings with Tinkerbell and Peter, as well as the fact that I had been looking for them all along. I don't want to have to explain how I knew Peter grabbed Henry.

"That's quite a wardrobe change." Emma remarks but there's suspicion in her tone. Truthfully I can't blame her, my new clothes look a lot like the ones Peter wears and since they don't know about my past living here in Neverland they are bound to be curious as to how I'm suddenly fitting in so well.

"That's because Neverland was once her home. No doubt she has a place filled with clothes, weapons and food." My father informs Emma before I get the chance to.

"Wait, you used to live in Neverland?" David asks me as his wife looks at me with open mouthed shock.

"Yes, before I got away and went to the Enchanted Forest." I sigh and the others continue to stare at me, as if they're hoping for more of an explanation. I keep my mouth firmly shut, making it clear that I'm not in the mood to share more.

Eventually they get the hint and Mary Margaret says, "Well, we set up camp and I think we need to get back there and think things through. See if Emma can figure out that map." The others agree and I start to follow them back to their camp.

That's when my father grabs my arm and holds me back. "Karina, I'm sorry… About what happened back in Storybrooke. If it makes any difference, I did go back and I let them use my ship to get here to come looking for Henry." He smiles slightly. "I am trying."

I stare at him for a long time; studying his pleading expression until I'm satisfied that he truly means it. Then I slowly nod my head and smile awkwardly, "I know." I whisper and then hurry to catch up to Emma so I can look at the map in her hands.

"Since you lived here before you must know Pan's tricks." Emma tells me and shows me the blank paper. "Is this really a map?"

"Definitely." She sighs like she was hoping I would say it isn't. "Pan likes his games, he obviously wants you to stop denying whatever it is he thinks you're denying. That's his game. It's not giving you a blank piece of paper with no map and laughing as you try to figure it out. Whatever it is, he thinks this will make the best game."

"You seem to know a lot about how Pan thinks…" Emma says but I can hear the accusation in her voice.

I sigh and decide that if they're going to find out anything, it might as well be what I want them to know, rather than risk Peter telling them himself. "I was a lost girl. The first one actually." Emma's eyebrows shoot into her hairline from her surprise. "Pan brought me here shortly after my father abandoned me. I was the only girl who could hear the music, so he said that made me special."

"Music?" Emma asks and when I look up I can tell the others are listening.

"Yea, he plays music with this magical pan flute… Only children who feel lost and unloved can hear it, but he said that girls rarely ever come out to play. I was one of the only ones." I hack at some branches with my sword before I continue. "So he brought me here and I spent a long time here, playing and going on adventures. But then I decided I had to leave, so I made a deal and I left. I guess Pan's super happy to have me back here now."

"What was the deal you made?" Regina asks, eyeing me skeptically.

"If I did something for him… He'd let me go." I look her dead in the eye as I say this, hoping she won't see through my lie. "And no, I'm not going to tell you what I did for him. It's not one of my finer moments. I'm not exactly proud of it." I force a grimace to further my point and I'm relieved when I see that everyone seems to believe me.

"So you got out… But now you're back here and you're Pan's enemy." David reiterates. "He can't be happy about that."

"No, I can't imagine that he is. I always thought if I came back here he would kill me, we didn't exactly part on the best of terms."

"But obviously he wants you back since he had Greg and Tamara kidnap you along with Henry." Mary Margaret sighs.

"Any idea what he wants with Henry?" Emma asks, ignoring what her mother had said.

"No idea." I say automatically. Emma seems to believe me and shortly after that we arrive at their camp. It's not very much, but it has a fire place and a small makeshift roof to sleep under, as well as some larger and rounder rocks for people to sit on. It will work for home until we can all get Henry and leave.

Emma disappears to talk to her parents as my father walks up to me, handing me a sleeping bag. "I brought an extra, just in case." He shrugs his shoulders to say it's no big deal, but I can tell that he's holding his breath in anticipation, waiting to see if I'll take the sleeping bag. To him, if I reject this sleeping bag I'll be rejecting him. This sleeping bag is his form of a peace offering.

I look at the bundle in his hand and then I take it, holding it tightly to my chest. "Thank you." I mumble and he smiles.

"You're welcome." He takes a hesitant step forward and then places a kiss on my forehead. "I'm glad we have you back."

"Yea… It's good to be back with everyone." I feel incredibly awkward and unsure of what I should say and I can tell he feels the same way. Thankfully, Emma saves us from any more awkwardness when she runs up to us with the map in the air. Only now it's an actual map and not just a blank piece of paper.

"I got the map to work!" She cries and Regina rushes over. Everyone crowds around the map to inspect it more closely.

"We're here on the tip of the isle, in the middle of the dark jungle." My father informs everyone. "Pan's camp lies due north."

"That's where he's keeping Henry."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Regina makes motions to leave when my father stops her.

"The terrain's not easy and there will no doubt be some nasty impediments along the way."

"We should prepare. We only made it out of our last encounter because Pan let us." David looks at his wife and she nods in agreement. "We need a new plan."

"Agreed. It's time we stop playing his game and he starts playing ours." Emma states, her eyes hard with determination.

"And if I disagree?" Regina asks, looking annoyed.

"Go ahead, but I think you know our best chance is together."

"You better be right." Regina storms off. David and Mary Margaret also walk away, though they do so a lot less angrily and I decide to leave in search for more firewood.

I head out into the jungle, mostly searching for sticks that are big enough to burn. When I first came to Neverland the boys had sent me out constantly for firewood, telling me I needed to 'prove myself' time and time again. Of course, I knew they were just too lazy to go get the firewood themselves. However, I eventually grew to like collecting firewood because it was time away from everyone else so that I could think. Soon I began offering before anyone could order me to go do it.

It doesn't take me long to gather plenty of firewood and once my arms are completely full I decide to head back. I lean over to pick up one more close to my feet and then drop everything with a shocked gasp when I see Peter standing before me. "Aw man!" I shout. "You need to start announcing your arrival. I forgot how annoying it is to have someone appear out of nowhere all the time." I narrow my eyes, inspecting him closely. "Would you be willing to wear a bell?"

"No." Peter replies flatly and I sigh. _There goes that idea._ I get down onto my knees to start picking up the firewood again. "I hope you don't mind that I let Emma be a lost girl… Though don't worry, I told her she certainly wasn't the first." I keep my head low and continue picking up my firewood, waiting to see where he's going. "She wasn't very surprised when I told her that you are the very first lost girl."

I decide to get up off my knees and forget the firewood because I know that I don't want to be down on my knees during this conversation. If anything his head will get bigger from his ego at seeing me 'bowing down' before him. "Now why do I think you're not surprised by Emma not being surprised?"

Peter raises his eyebrows and smirks. "I wasn't. I heard your little story about what your life used to be like. I must say I'm hurt that you would leave out all the fun details. How we used to play hide and seek, go treasure hunting, torment the mermaids… How I used to have you writhing underneath me in our bed." He slowly steps towards me and runs his finger along my collar bone. My heart beat has become erratic and I hope he can't feel it. "Or how about how we used to plot Henry's demise." He whispers these words in my ear and I suck in air through my teeth.

"You won't tell them." I try to make my words seem like a command; however they come out as more of a question than an order.

Peter steps behind me and runs his hands down my arms. "Well, you did choose their side… You chose to align yourself against me. Why should I spare you any mercy?" His hands reach the bottom of my arms and as sudden as a striking cobra, he grabs onto my wrists with so much force I can't help but cry out in pain.

"What did you expect me to do?" I gasp, tears coming to my eyes. "You didn't leave me much of a choice. If you've been watching me at all, you would know how I feel about Henry. You would know that I can't just let you kill him for his heart."

Peter releases my wrists and spins me around to face him. "I thought that our time together meant more to you…"

"You know what it meant to me, don't act like you don't… But you _lied_ to me. All those years my father was on the island and you knew I wanted to find him. You knew that I still loved him. But instead of being honest with me, you and the other lost boys snuck around behind my back to keep it all a secret from me. Thank God Felix told me my father was still alive or I would still be brainwashed by you." I lift my arms and break free from Peter's grip, taking several steps back. I wipe angrily at the tears streaming down my face, furious for their appearance.

"Brainwashed?" Peter asks with his eyebrows raised in surprise. "Come now, Karina. Don't pretend like you were the victim." He narrows his eyes, his dark expression giving me a warning not to overstep.

"Was I just some game to you? I truly thought that you loved me. Was that all just something that I conjured up in my own head?" My heart is beating so hard against my chest that I feel like it could jump out at any second. Perhaps that would be preferable, instead of dealing with this heartache. Out of every person I had known in my life I had thought that I could trust Peter with my life. Maybe I really was brainwashed into believing such nonsense.

Peter doesn't answer, instead he simply gives me a hard look. Before I can help myself I start to laugh hysterically. "So all those times where you showed me 'love', weren't really love at all. They were you using me to get what you want. Did you know the whole time that I would leave and get swept up in that curse, and then become friends with Henry? Is that why you were so willing to let me go?"

"It's impossible to tell the future in a place where time stands still." Peter replies coldly. "I let you go because I knew you wouldn't find your father. Because he was here. I let you go because I was hoping you'd give up on your pathetic ideas of finding him and leaving Neverland behind. I didn't expect for you to go get a damn amulet to hide yourself from me, effectively breaking our deal. And since I couldn't find you I went to that witch that gave you the amulet and gave her the punishment that should've been yours!"

"What did you do to her?" I can feel my entire body go numb. That old witch may have been a scary old thing, but I wouldn't have wished death upon her. She did help me after all. I should've known going to anyone would have resulted in their death.

Peter closes the distance between us and grabs my chin in his hand. I try to jerk out of his grasp but it's so tight I'm afraid he'll leave bruises. "I ripped the skin from her bones and made her watch as I threw it into the fire. Then when I was done I threw her into the fire as well and listened to her screams, imagining that they were yours."

Finally I'm able to pull away and I fall back, landing on my butt. "You're a monster." I whisper, shaking my head in disgust.

"But you're the one that fell in love with a monster." Peter grins maliciously. "It doesn't matter what any of you do, Henry's heart is mine and so is yours. Now that I have you back, you are never leaving again. Neverland is your home, always and forever. I'll kill anyone who tries to take you away." With that said he turns on his heel and walks away, disappearing through the bushes.

Once I know he's gone I start to gasp over and over again until my gasping turns into sobs. I sit on the cold ground crying for a very long time, I curl myself into a ball and ignore everything else around me.

I don't cry because of what he said about keeping me in Neverland, I cry because in that moment, despite everything that has lead up to this point… I can feel my heart shattering.

 **A/N:** Aw man, that ending was difficult to write. I feel bad for Karina! Don't worry; this animosity between the two of them won't last very long. But they needed to have this conversation in order to move forward.

Please take a moment to review!


	17. Chapter Fifteen

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Fifteen ~**

Feeling numb I make my way back to camp. I had spent so much time in the woods trying to calm down and make it seem like my heart hadn't just been broken. By the time I felt ready to go back and face the others it was so late I knew they would be suspicious. So I quickly gathered up the sticks and hurried back the way I had come.

Now, as I walk into camp I can see suspicion on the others faces, thankfully no one seems willing to question me about it so I'm able to drop the sticks next to the fire and head back to my sleeping bag. I bring my knees to my chest and rest my chin on top of my knees as I stare off at nothing in particular.

In no time at all Emma comes over to me and sits down beside me. "Are you ok?" Emma asks me, cocking an eyebrow.

"I'm fine." I mutter. I don't even bother trying to make it sound sincere because I simply can't find the energy. Let her and everyone else think the worst.

"You sure do look fine." Emma replies sarcastically. When I don't say anything in return she sighs, "Get some rest, we're leaving for Pan's campground once everyone's gotten some sleep." She waits another minute, as if she's waiting for a reply. When she doesn't get one she sighs again, places her hand on my shoulder and then gets up, leaving me alone to my thoughts.

I notice the others starting to climb into their sleeping bags so I decide to do the same thing. For a moment I'm afraid that I'll be up for hours, but I'm surprisingly pulled into a dream just moments after my head hits the pillow.

…

" _Oh come on; please don't tell me that you're chicken!" I throw my head back and laugh. The two boys stand underneath me on the ground, both looking at one another uneasily. "It's just a little tree!"_

" _There is nothing little about this tree." Baelfire mutters as Rufio nods his head quickly in agreement. The two boys look like they could be brothers with their dark hair, dark eyes and tall figures. The only thing that separates the two boys is that Rufio's skin is much darker and he has a faint, unfamiliar accent._

" _Not all of us are as crazy as you are, Karina." Rufio smirks and places his hands on his hips._

" _I'm not crazy! I just love adventure." I grin cheekily. "If you two won't join me, I guess I'll have to do this myself." Without another word I start to climb the branches, using the thicker ones to propel me higher and higher up in the tree._

 _Moments later I hear cursing and look down to see both boys are now following me. I knew that they would. Both of them are too prideful to let themselves be beat by a girl. If I were to reach the top first I would get official bragging rights._

" _Come on boys, you better keep up!" I call in a sing-song voice to which I receive a dark look from Bae. Meanwhile, Rufio is looking at me with a strange look on his face, one that isn't quite annoyance or humor, but something else entirely._

 _Peter is off doing God knows what again with Felix and the rest of the lost boys, so once again Baelfire and Rufio are tasked with entertaining me. I've given up trying to get Peter to tell me where he's going, I've figured out that it's useless. Whatever he's doing, it's clearly something he doesn't want me to know about and quite frankly, I don't think I want to know what it is if he's so desperate to keep it hidden from me._

" _You realize if I get to the top first I am going to rub it in your faces every chance I get, right?" I shout this down to them as I continue to make my way up the tree. I'm moving quickly, much faster than the two boys, and I know without a doubt that I'm going to be the one who gets to the top first._

" _Yea, we know." Bae mutters and Rufio sighs loudly, making sure that I hear his displeasure. I turn my head to grin down at the two boys at the same time that I'm reaching for a branch. Because I'm not looking my hand misses the branch and suddenly I'm falling._

 _I barely hear Rufio and Baelfire shouting past the sound of the wind roaring past my ears. I'm unable to even think of anything else other than my death rushing up to meet me. I know that when I hit the ground I'll be dead. I was too high up not to be._

 _But then strong arms wrap around me and pull me to a warm chest. I gasp and open my eyes in shock to find Peter staring down at me with a hard stare. Very slowly he flies down to the ground and when I look up I can see Baelfire and Rufio scurrying down the side of the tree to meet us. Peter sets me on my feet but doesn't say a word to me as he steps towards the two boys who are just now reaching the bottom._

" _What do you two think you were doing?" He asks, his voice deadly calm. I can see both Rufio and Bae share uneasy looks, clearly noticing the deadliness in Peter's tone. "When I told you to watch Karina, I didn't mean for you to almost get her killed."_

" _Peter it was my idea to climb the tree, don't blame them." I step in between Peter and my two friends, hoping that he'll calm down when he knows the story. Peter seems to have more tolerance for me, but when it comes to the lost boys, especially when it comes to Baelfire, he has very little patience._

 _Slowly Peter turns his gaze from them to look down at me. There is fire in his eyes and I have to refrain myself from taking a step back. "And why would you do something so stupid, Karina?"_

" _I was only trying to have fun." I mutter. "You talk about going on adventures but then you get mad when I try one on my own?"_

 _Peter smirks, "I get mad because you go off with two idiots who don't know how to keep you safe. By all means, have some adventures, but_ don't _get yourself killed."_

" _Well maybe if you didn't keep disappearing I wouldn't have to go off and find my own dangerous adventures!" I can hear Baelfire and Rufio shuffling behind me rather uncomfortably; clearly they weren't expecting to get caught in the middle of our fight._

" _Why don't you just say thank you for saving your life?" Peter seethes and takes a step towards me until we're standing a mere inch apart._

" _Thank you!" I shout, though it hardly sounds sincere. Instead, it sounds fairly condescending and I know it's because my temper won't let me say it any other way._

 _Peter smiles without any humor and then looks over my head at the two boys, "That's the last time you let her do something stupid. If she even gets hurt in the least bit1 I'll do the same thing to the both of you tenfold… And if she dies…"_

….

"Karina, time to wake up darling." My eyes snap open to see my father hovering over me with a soft smile on his lips. "Bad dream?"

"I guess you could say that." I mutter and sit up. I run my fingers through my hair and look around the camp to see everyone packing up. "Are we leaving already?"

"It's been several hours. We need to get going. We don't want to leave Henry in Pan's clutches for too long." My father reaches his hand out to me and helps me up to my feet. He smiles again and then wanders off to talk to Emma.

I start to pack my things and manage to finish just as everyone else is ready to set out. I sling my sword onto my back but decide to leave my sleeping bag because it looks like we'll be coming back to this same campsite.

I set out after everyone else; choosing to walk at the back of the group so no one can study me as we walk. After quite some time Regina gets annoyed and asks Emma how much further we have to go. "If we keep going in a straight line course…" She starts to pull out the map as we all crowd around her. It's then that I notice the giant red X on the map disappears and then reappears again behind us. "Son of a… How is it now behind us?"

"You got us lost." Regina sighs angrily.

"No, she didn't. It's the camp… Pan's moving it. He likes to do that." I grumble and everyone looks at me in astonishment.

"He's playing tricks on us." David whispers and looks around as if he expects Pan to jump out at any second and own up to his tricks.

"If Pan's camp keeps moving, how are we going to find Henry?" Emma asks anxiously, looking to my father and me specifically. Unfortunately, neither of us really have an answer for her. "So this whole trek was for nothing."

"I told you walking was idiotic." Regina growls as she bounces on the balls of her feet. It's as though she's just waiting for a lost boy to jump out so she can throw a fire ball at him or something and release some of her frustration. "If we could just use some magic we can materialize in the camp and grab Henry!"

"We don't even know where the camp is! Have you even been listening?" Mary Margaret argues tiredly.

"Not to mention, Pan has wards to protect his camp against stuff like that… And it's pretty powerful stuff. If we were to use your magic to get us in there we would most likely all end up dead." I inform them and everyone turns to look at me again, clearly surprised by the information.

"Well then what's your idea? How are we going to find it?" Regina asks me in a tone that would suggest that she's speaking to a child.

I bite my lip and contemplate whether or not I should bring up my old friend to them. I'm sure Tinkerbell can help us, but I'm afraid to drag her into this. I've done it to her in the past and she almost ended up dead because of it. But this is Henry, and maybe if we get him back the others will be willing to take Tinkerbell back with them so that she can finally get away from Pan once and for all. My mind made up I say, "I know someone who can help. She's a fairy that lived here at the same time I was, I know she's still here… Mostly because she has no way off the island. Pan trusts her and he'll let her in, so that she can be our inside source."

"You're talking about Tinkerbell, aren't you?" My father asks and I nod my head. I want to say that I'm surprised that he also knows her, but then again it can't be too hard to imagine. If he spent as much time here as he said he did, they probably knew one another well. What bothers me is that clearly another person who knew my father was here never told me.

"Wait, Tinkerbell? Are you serious?" Emma closes her eyes in disbelief.

"You know her?"

"Every kid in the world _knows_ her." Emma sighs.

"That's a bad idea." Regina exclaims, looking like someone who's panicking but is trying very hard to cover it up. "Mark my words; this Tinkerbell is not going to save us."

"Have any other ideas, your Majesty?" I ask with more bite to my words than I originally intended. Regina sighs and shakes her head. "Great, then follow me." I turn to go in the direction our group had just come from and start to lead everyone to Tinkerbell's treehouse.

Thankfully, Tinkerbell's treehouse isn't far from where we are, but halfway there Regina and Emma stop us when they start to argue in a hushed whisper. Mary Margaret heads back to intervene and eventually so do David and my father. I stay where I am and release a heavy sigh as I throw my sword into the ground, the hilt sticking up high into the air.

"Are you done?" I ask, my patience finally having worn thin. Being back in Neverland has not only made me nostalgic for a time that was simpler, but it has also brought up some things I wish I could forget… The few things that weren't so simple.

The others look at me with varying degrees of surprise by my sudden surly mood. However, they finish whatever argument they'd been having and continue to follow. At one point during our walk, David, my father and I are slightly further ahead from the others giving me the opportunity my father was clearly looking for to talk to David. "When are you going to tell her?"

"Tell her what?" David asks.

"I saw what happened to you, mate. Let me see." Both men come to a standstill and so do I, interested in whatever it is they are talking about.

David looks confused for a minute and then looks around. When he sees no one standing close by he sighs and rolls up his shirt, revealing a cut that has several dark veins leading away from it. I suck in a breath and my eyes go wide as I share a look with my father, both of us recognizing what has caused such a reaction.

"The arrow barely nicked me."

"I'm sorry, mate." My father whispers, lowering the lantern he had been holding.

"Do you know how long?" David asks as he quickly rolls his shirt back down.

"It's dreamshade. You'll be lucky if you survive another couple of days." I reply dryly. That's when I notice the others catching up so I turn and continue on my way to Tinkerbell's treehouse. I hear David and my father start to follow me, neither saying a word but I can feel the tension in the air.

After some time of walking we finally reach Tinkerbell's treehouse and it's decided that I will go first since Tinkerbell knows me the best. As I climb the ladder I can only imagine the look on Tink's face when she realizes what I have brought to her doorstep. I don't think even our long-lasting friendship will save me from her anger. As I reach the top of the ladder I peer around to find nobody is occupying the small house. "No one's home. Come on up!"

"It's pretty bare; it reminds me of some place." Emma says as she gets up the ladder and looks around. "Where I used to live… That's it." Emma goes out onto the balcony and looks over it and Mary Margaret follows her. The two of them start to talk while the rest of us look around.

When they come back in I hear Mary Margaret say, "The real question is, why does she have a ladder? Fairies have wings."

"Hey guys, I found something." David shows us a handkerchief and Mary Margaret latches onto it, staring at it with wide eyes.

"That's Regina's. Why does she have this?"

"She's been tracking us… Watching Regina." Emma sighs. "But if she's watching her…"

"Then we're in the wrong place." My father finishes for her. Mary Margaret quickly leaves the treehouse, descending the ladder as fast as she dares. The others start to follow and I take one last look around the treehouse before I too follow them down.

I follow the others as they hurry to the spot that we left Regina. Emma gets her sword out upon our arrival just as Tinkerbell walks out of a cave. Once she sees Emma her eyes go wide and she lifts her arms in surrender. "Where's Regina?"

"Who the hell are you?" Tink asks.

"A pissed off mother. Now where is she?" Just as Emma says this Regina comes running out of the cave, assuring us that Tinkerbell left her unharmed.

"Do you mind lowering your weapons?" Tink asks testily. "You may stick me, but I'll take you down with me." David's response is to move his sword closer to her neck. Tink looks between the sword and David, her eyes narrowing with anger.

"She's fine." Regina says quickly as she also eyes the sword. "She's not going to hurt us."

"But is she going to help us?" My father asks as he puts his sword over his shoulder.

"Well, look who the queen dragged in… Hello Hook."

"Tinkerbell." I look between the two of them as they eye one another with clear interest and it takes everything I have not to gag. Who knew that my good friend and my father would want to hook up?

"She's not going to help us." Regina interrupts the two making eyes at one another.

"Why not?"

"Tink, after all we've been through together… A little assistance?" My father gestures to the rest of our group.

"She doesn't have any magic."

"No pixie dust?" David asks nervously and something tells me that he's asking for more reasons than simply getting to Henry and saving him. If he thinks pixie dust will help him heal from dreamshade than he's even dumber than I thought. Nothing but the healing powers of the magical spring can heal dreamshade and once he drinks it he'll be trapped here forever.

"Not even her wings." Regina replies tiredly.

"How is that possible?" Emma asks incredulously.

"I guess people stopped believing in me… And even if I wanted to help you, he's too powerful."

"But you know where Pan is." Mary Margaret grins.

"Sure, but it won't do you any good."

"Let us be the judge of that… Does he trust you? Can you get us inside his compound?"

"Maybe." Tink crosses her arms. "Why should I help you?"

"Because I believe in you." Mary Margaret says and Tink seems taken aback by her words.

"Just get us inside and we'll take it from there." Emma tries once she sees that her mother's words had an effect on Tinkerbell.

"And what's in it for me?" That same hard façade comes rushing back to Tink's features as she turns to stare at the blonde. "Other than a death sentence from Pan when you're gone with your boy?"

"You can come with us… You can have a home. That is what you want, isn't it?" Emma asks and tilts her head to the side ever so slightly as she inspects the fairy.

Tinkerbell barely takes any time to consider it before she says, "Ok, listen closely. Pan trusts me and he'll let me in. Maybe, just maybe, I'll leave the door open for you. But you've only got one shot, so you better have a good plan."

"Thank you. We will." Emma whispers.

"Come with us to our camp, we'll figure it out." Mary Margaret smiles and starts to head in the direction of the camp with David at her side.

Tinkerbell falls into step with me and says, "It was your plan to come to me for help, wasn't it?"

"What? No! No way!" I shake my head and try to laugh it off rather awkwardly but when I see she's not buying it I sigh. "Ok, yea, it was. But hey! Now you get a home!"

"If Pan doesn't kill us all first."

 **A/N:** Blah, I'm not a big fan of this chapter… Regardless, I hope all of you enjoyed it.

Please take a moment to review!


	18. Chapter Sixteen

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Sixteen ~**

 _I release a heavy sigh as I fall down next to Rufio who is currently on his back and looking up at the stars. The two of us remain silent, both of us barely even breathing as the stillness of the night around us cloaks us like a heavy blanket. The stars are shining above and for once the camp is quiet as everyone had left to either go hunting or playing a game of hide and seek._

" _Where's Pan?" Rufio asks quietly, barely above a whisper as if he doesn't want to disturb the hushed atmosphere._

" _We got into another fight." I whisper back, never taking my eyes off the stars._

 _I can feel Rufio shift beside me and I know he's looking at me. "Want to talk about it?"_

" _Not really…" I sigh. "It's just our same old fight. You don't want to hear about it. You're probably sick of listening to me complain about my problems with him."_

 _Rufio stays quiet for a very long time until suddenly he says, "I don't mind." I almost forgot what we were talking about because he took so long to respond._

" _Hm?"_

" _I don't mind that you talk to me about him. I like listening to you, it doesn't matter what you say. As long as I get to hear you talk, I'm happy." Rufio is leaning over me now, his unruly dark hair cupping his face as he smiles down at me._

 _I smile back, surprised by his words. For a while now Rufio has been acting strangely, saying and doing things that he never used to. He's been my friend for a while now, but he only recently started to behave like this. I don't know why._

" _You're just saying that to be nice." I tease and playfully slap his arm. He looks down at his arm where I had touched him and for a moment I'm worried that I crossed a line by touching him. Perhaps he doesn't like being touched and I just upset him. I bite my lip and I'm about to apologize when he looks back up with a large grin on his face._

" _I'm always nice, but I'm actually saying that because it's true." He stares deep into my eyes as if he's trying to convince me that what he's saying is true._

" _Uh huh, well just you wait. One of these days I'm going to talk so much you'll be begging me to shut up."_

" _That's never going to happen. I promise."_

…

"This is where they're keeping Henry. Pan's compound." Emma uses a stick to point at a bunch of rocks set up like a map of Pan's campground. "According to uh…" Emma gestures over her shoulder at Tinkerbell who's carrying some firewood.

"Tinkerbell." She offers helpfully.

"Yea, I know, it's still hard to say."

"Tink is fine."

"Not sure that's any better." Emma mutters quietly to herself. "Anyways! _She_ says that there are centuries positioned across the front, which is why we are gonna come in through the back entrance here. She's going to talk her way in; once she makes sure that the coast is clear we are going to sneak on in."

"You still have to deal with any lost boys once you're inside." Tink informs us.

"I think we can handle a few children with pointy sticks." Regina replies sarcastically.

"It's not the sticks you need to worry about. It's the poison they're dipped in."

"Dreamshade. Hook warned us." Mary Margaret interrupts.

"Good! Because one nick and you'll spend the last…"

"Poison sticks equal death. We got it! Now when can we put this rescue mission into action?" David jumps in and gets to his feet. The rest of us look at him, though only my father and I know why he's so quick to interrupt Tink's description of a gruesome death at the hands of a deadly poison.

"I'm ready to go." Tink places her hands on her hips and looks around. "Just as soon as you tell me the exit plan." Everyone looks around, completely at a loss as to what they can say. "You do have an escape plan don't you?"

"It was more of a last minute trip." Mary Margaret explains helpfully.

"If you don't have a way off this island, than none of this matters."

"We'll figure it out." Regina gets to her feet.

"You'll figure it out?" Tinkerbell asks disbelievingly. "No one comes and goes from this place unless he allows it! This is a waste of time."

"When it comes to family we always find a way." David exclaims heroically.

"You don't get it." That's when Tinkerbell pulls out a very familiar looking watch. "You see this? I got it off the people who brought your son here for Pan."

"Greg and Tamara?" Immediately everyone is on their feet and rushing to face Tinkerbell. "Where are they? Why'd they give you that?"

"I got it off the girl's body… Spent half the night cleaning the blood off it." She places the watch back in her pocket. "And the other guy? Well there wasn't enough of him to find anything useful… This is what Pan does to people he employs, what do you think he's going to do to you? The only person here who is sort of safe is Karina and even she might not get amnesty for trying to save your boy."

"Karina?" Mary Margaret asks in confusion. "Why would she be spared?"

Everyone turns to look at me and in that moment I could probably strangle Tinkerbell if there weren't any witnesses. Thinking fast on my feet I say, "Because I used to be a lost girl. Believe it or not, Pan does believe in loyalty. He might not kill me because I used to be one of them… But that's not guaranteed. I could face an even worse punishment for going against him now, actually." The others seem to believe my story and I shoot Tink a dangerous look, daring her to tell them otherwise. She wisely seems to understand my hint.

"I'm not about to stick my neck out on Pan's chopping block without a way out… Once you figure it out, you know where I live." She starts to storm out of the camp, leaving the rest of us staring grimly at one another.

David is about to go after her when Emma stops him. "She's right. If there's one thing I've learned, you never break in somewhere unless you know the way out." Her philosophy sounds very similar to words Pan shared with me a very long time ago.

"And where'd you learn that? Bail bond person's school?" Regina asks sarcastically as she crosses her arms over her chest.

"Neal taught me that." That effectively shuts Regina up and I can't help but smirk when I realize that Peter must have also taught that same thing to Bae who then taught it to Emma. Clearly, he had learnt more from this place than he liked to admit.

"What about you Hook? Karina? Both of you have been here before and gotten off this island. How did you do it?" David asks, spinning to look at my father and me.

"Yes, aboard my ship. Which would require some form of magic, which I got from Pan through a deal I don't think he's willing to repeat." I can't help but be curious as to what that deal was.

"Karina?"

"Same thing… I made a deal with him, but there's no way he's just going to let us go, especially once we've taken Henry back. This is practically a suicide mission." I receive annoyed looks from everyone, which tells me that my comment was not necessary whatsoever.

"So no one's ever left the island without Pan's permission?" Regina asks angrily.

"One boy did… Neal." I sigh and Emma's eyes go wide. "He told me that he used Pan's shadow to do it."

"And you're just telling us this now?!" Regina demands as she takes a threatening step towards me. Immediately, as though he were acting on instinct, my father steps around me and plants himself firmly in Regina's path to me. She gives him a dark smile, but understands the message and steps back. Once she does so my father retreats until he is standing next to me.

"Honestly, I didn't think it was a big deal yet! You guys were so focused on getting Henry back and you never once talked about an escape plan… I didn't really think of it until now!" The others give me a look of understanding, but Regina is still glaring at me from across the camp ground as if I purposely kept the information from them. "As for how he did it exactly… That's something he didn't tell me. But there is a way that we can find out. I can take you guys to where Neal had set up his own little home while living here… That might give us the answers we need."

The others agree and we set off, once again I'm leading the group. My father is walking behind me and I feel compelled to thank him. "I guess I should thank you… For what you did. I don't think Regina would've actually hurt me, but it was still… Nice of you." My words tumble awkwardly from my mouth and my father smiles.

"You're welcome, sweetheart." He uses his good hand to grab my shoulder and give it a tight squeeze. "How are you doing? You've been acting strangely since we got here. I know being here must bring up a lot of bad memories for you."

 _Not all bad…_ "It hasn't been easy, but I'm managing." I try to smile to reassure him, but I fail miserably at it.

"I saw you when you came back to camp the other day… When you were out getting firewood. You looked like a part of you died inside." His voice is thick with emotion and I look up at him, shocked that he cares so much. I figured after all the hatred I had spewed in his direction over the past while he wouldn't care so much. I guess I'm wrong about that.

"Yea…" I bite my lip. "I ran into one of the lost boy's… They're not too happy with me. It may have been difficult living with Peter, but the lost boys were my brothers when I was here. It hurts to know that they hate me so much… They're not all bad."

"I know they're not. Some are just orphans looking for somewhere to belong. If it helps, I'm sure any who choose to join us will be allowed to come back with us once we find a way." He smiles and squeezes my shoulder again. I realize that he must want to do more, his parental instincts kicking in, but he's unsure as to how I'll respond.

"Thanks… Papa." I mutter and stare at the ground. I hear my father take in a deep breath and when I look up he's smiling down at me broadly as if I just gave him the best present ever.

"You're welcome, darling." He moves his hand to my back and rubs a soothing circle there. I must admit that the feeling is nice and I almost want to throw myself on him and tell him everything. I want to tell him that I had loved Peter, but he broke my heart and that I used to love being a lost girl. I want to tell him everything I've been keeping from everyone, but I hold myself back because I'm afraid that if I do tell him everything, he'll start to hate me. Now that our relationship is finally starting to mend, I don't think I could handle it falling apart again.

A short time later we arrive at Bae's old home. Immediately it is met with skepticism. "What is this supposed to be?" Comes from Regina, while Emma says, "So Neal swung out of Neverland on a vine?"

I roll my eyes and grab onto the vine Bae had shown me long ago, the one that opens the door. "Not exactly." I start to pull on the vine and as I do so the door opens. The others stare in astonishment as they start to descend into the cave.

Just as I'm about to follow them I notice that David isn't looking so great. I turn on him before he can enter and shoot him a pointed look. "How long do you think you can keep up this charade, huh? You're _dying_ David. You need to tell your family." My father nods his head in agreement.

"Why do you two care so much?"

"Why don't you?! Despite everything that's happened between my father and I, I'd be pretty pissed if he just suddenly died and I found out that he knew he was going to die the whole time and didn't tell me." I shove David's shoulder, hoping a little bit of violence will get my point across.

David narrows his eyes and takes a step back. "What's the point in telling them when there is nothing I can do to stop it? When there is no hope?"

"If there's one thing I've gleamed from you hero types is that there's always hope." My father replies, shaking his head at David's words.

"Is there something the two of you aren't telling me? Mates?" David whispers angrily.

"Alas, hope and reality are most often worlds apart. I told you the truth; you're never making it off this island alive." My father replies darkly and then he moves past me and starts to descend into the cave. I shake my head and follow him with David right behind me.

"Karina, what is this place? What are we doing here?" Emma asks as David starts to light some of the torches hanging on the walls. Upon lighting the torches all the drawings that Bae had drawn on the wall are put on display. Emma looks around with a sick look on her face.

"Like I said, this was Neal's home… Hopefully it can give us some answers as to how he used the shadow to get off this island." I shrug my shoulders and start to look around.

"So he never told you how he did it?" Mary Margaret clarifies as I shake my head.

"All he said was he used the shadow. He never said how. If there's going to be an answer as to how he did it, it'll be here." I gesture around the cave as everyone gets to work, searching through all his old things.

"These are all just drawings." My father says as he and Emma look around the cave, studying the pictures Bae had drawn on the rock surface long ago. "It was probably just something to pass the time and keep occupied."

"You knew him pretty well, didn't you?" Emma asks quietly, inspecting him closely.

"We spent some time together." He agrees, looking pained from the memories.

I can't help but shake my head ruefully, thinking of how different our lives could have been if Baelfire and I had simply told one another the truth. Both of us could have had a different story. I don't think I ever would've found out about my father still being alive if Felix hadn't slipped up and told me by accident. I had known that was something he had known for a while and was supposed to keep hidden because as soon as the words left his mouth he looked like he could beat himself with his own club.

The moment I processed those words I went looking for Peter and demanded answers. It took me some time to get the deal from him that I did, but when I did finally get it I didn't hesitate to leave.

"Here are some cups and bowls he fashioned from things that he found here." Mary Margaret tells us, effectively pulling me out of my thoughts.

"I don't know how great this cup is going to be, it's filled with holes." David lifts it up and peers through it.

"Maybe it's a mini colander…" Mary Margaret suggests helpfully.

"Yes, because I'm sure pre-teen Baelfire made lots of pasta." Regina comments dryly. Mary Margaret shoots her a look to say that Regina's commentary isn't appreciated just as Emma grabs the "cup" and starts to inspect it.

"Hold on, Hook… Snuff out that torch." Slowly Emma places the half of her candle to the other piece of the coconut. The cave goes dim as my father blows out one of the torches and I look up to see a bunch of dots on the ceiling, looking a lot like stars.

"Am I supposed to be impressed that he made a night light?" Regina asks.

"It's not a night light." I reply. "It's a map."

"To where?" David asks.

"Home."

"How do you know it's a map?" Mary Margaret asks, still looking up at the ceiling of the cave.

"Baelfire knows how to navigate with the stars… Judging by the look of this coconut and how the holes seem to be placed rather strategically, I'd say this is definitely a map of the stars and not just some colander." I smirk at the end and Mary Margaret shoots me a look.

"The fruit of my labors." My father says and I turn to look at him, confused. "During the time Baelfire spent aboard my ship, I was the one who taught him how to navigate the stars."

"So you can read it then?" Regina asks.

"Sadly no… Along with teaching him how to navigate the stars, I also taught him the key to being a pirate…" He trails off.

"Secrecy." I finish for him. "The best captains conceal their maps in code."

"So you guys are saying that the only person who can read this map is Neal?" Mary Margaret clarifies and I regretfully nod my head.

"Which means the only person who can read this map is dead." Emma sighs and sets her things down, and then hurries to the exit of the cave as her parents quickly follow her.

Once they are gone I look at my father and Regina who look equally as awkward as I feel. "Well… This is fun."

 **A/N:** I apologize for the last few chapters not being very eventful, but that's only because I'm setting things up for what is to come. Next chapter will have more Peter and be more eventful. I will update that chapter in a few days.

Please take a moment to review!


	19. Chapter Seventeen

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Seventeen ~**

 _Rufio and I are sitting side by side, our arms constantly brushing one another as the two of us work together. We are making a net to help with hunting seeing as the other one we had been using was torn apart by a very angry boar with very large tusks. Using plenty of vines that we had collected, our new net seems to be coming along nicely._

 _Working with Rufio has been nice since he's kept me laughing the entire time, making jokes and telling funny stories. Baelfire was supposed to be helping us but Peter ended up pulling him away from something "special" and neither of them would tell me what that is. Of course, not telling me anything led to another fight with Peter, so Rufio being his usual self has been trying his best to cheer me up._

" _So what do you think they're doing?" I ask curiously, though I don't really expect an answer. Judging by the nervous look on Rufio's face he knows exactly what they're doing but he can't tell me. I know if I force it out of him, he'll suffer the consequences. Peter doesn't appreciate anyone blabbing about his secrets._

" _I don't know…" Rufio says in a quiet voice and shrugs his shoulders. I shoot him a dry look to show him that I know he's lying. Rufio sighs. "Why do you care so much anyways?"_

" _Because I hate when people keep things from me… Especially Peter." I grumble. "I figure we'd be close enough by now that he could tell me these things." Our relationship has passed the point of keeping secrets. We've been together every night and I've completely given up my other bed for Peter's. I had thought he would stop keeping things from me, but apparently he doesn't agree._

" _I swear I would tell you if I could… But if I did…" Rufio shakes his head ruefully, looking truly tormented._

 _I smile pitifully and pat his knee. "Peter will kill you otherwise… Yea, I figured. It's ok." I go back to working on the net when I notice Rufio staring rather intensely at his knee. "Are you ok?" When I get no reply I nudge his arm playfully. "Don't tell me you're still afraid of girl cooties?"_

" _No…" Rufio stops and then looks at me, his dark eyes are wide and it seems like he's trying very hard to focus. I look at him strangely when he suddenly grabs my hands and holds them tightly. "Karina, I need to tell you something."_

" _Uh, ok?" I ask and attempt to pull my hands away, but his grip is so firm it's actually starting to hurt. "Rufio, are you ok? You're acting weird." I have never seen him act like this before. Sure, he's had moments where he behaves strangely around me, but it's never been this extreme._

" _I want you to run away with Baelfire and me." He states firmly, pleading with me with his eyes._

 _My jaw drops a little bit. "W-What? You and Bae… What?!" I try to pull my hands away from Rufio again, this time I'm trying to do so a little more desperately._

" _Baelfire and I have a plan to get off the island… We can't stand it here anymore. Not with Pan. You can come with us! Baelfire was going to ask you, but I can't wait. Pan treats you like shit! He lies to you, he's mean to you and he keeps so many things from you! Come with us and I promise I won't ever keep anything from you." Rufio scoots closer to me. "I'm in love with you, Karina! I have been since the moment I saw you. You have a fire in you that makes it hard not to love you. Pan doesn't deserve you. He never will. Come away with me. Choose me!"_

" _Rufio, I…" I shake my head and this time I manage to pull my hands out of his when suddenly he leans forward and presses his lips to mine. My eyes go wide and I put my hands on his chest and try to push him off. His kiss feels completely wrong. Rufio is my friend and I care about him a lot, but Peter is the one I love, no matter our differences._

 _Abruptly Rufio pulls away and then I realize he had been pulled away from me. I look up to see Peter standing over us, fuming._

…..

Not long after Emma had walked out of Baelfire's cave with her parents right behind her, they all come back and we continue the search. Emma looks like she wants to pretend it never happened so the rest of us follow her lead and no one mentions her obvious grief.

"What is it?" David asks when he notices Emma and my father inspecting markings on one of the walls.

"It appears Neal marked his days trapped on this island." My father explains as he studies all the little white lines.

Emma jumps up onto the ledge that Baelfire had been using as a makeshift bed and placed her hand on the wall. "Look here, Neal stopped counting…"

"Because he got off the island." Mary Margaret replies as she gives her daughter a small smile.

"He was here longer." Emma looks to me for confirmation and I nod my head.

"Then why would he stop counting?" David asks as he too comes over to inspect the wall.

"Because he lost hope."

"You got that from scribbles?" Regina asks condescendingly.

Emma jumps down from the ledge. "I got that because it's what I did every time I went to a new foster home. I counted the days until counting seemed pointless."

"And you think the same thing is happening to Henry?" David sighs.

"Pan said that it would."

"Hey, we're going to rescue him!" The optimism of the Charming family never ceases to amaze me. Even when they are up against impossible odds they still wholeheartedly believe that they'll be the heroes and save the day as well as all their loved ones.

"Yea, I know that and you know that, but Henry doesn't know that! Pan _wants_ him to lose faith." Emma insists.

"It's true… The moment Henry loses faith, or thinks for even a second that he's unloved… He'll belong to Pan." I state and everyone looks at me in horror, clearly the idea of Henry feeling this way even for a moment is too much for them to bear.

"So then you want to send him a message?" Regina is the first to recover after my statement. "Because I haven't seen a Neverland post office… What are you suggesting?"

"We take a page from Pan and we start getting clever… We need to send a simple sign! A sign that we're coming." Everyone stares at Emma as though what she's saying is impossible.

"And how are we supposed to do that with lost boys running around trying to kill us all?" Regina sneers.

"Well maybe it's time we start using that to our advantage." Mary Margaret interjects for the first time. She obviously has a plan, judging by the small smile on her face.

"How?"

"Follow me. I'll show you." With that said Mary Margaret goes to exit the cave and the rest of us follow her. She leads us back to the camp, ordering all of us to grab certain supplies on the way as we walk. All the while she explains to us her plan.

"A trap?" Regina asks skeptically. "That's your plan?"

"If the lost boys want to come after us we need to go after them." Mary Margaret shrugs her shoulders.

"Don't you think the lost boys are going to protect Pan?" My father replies after taking a swig of rum. I reach my hand out for his flask and he offers it over without delay, smirking.

"Thanks for the advice… David, we need more vine." Mary Margaret orders just as her husband comes back with more.

"I'm on it." As David walks by my father and notices him staring at his daughter he says, "You're coming with me, _pirate._ "

"Really? And why is that?" My father asks, looking up at the prince with a sarcastic smile.

"Because we need more rope." Emma says.

"If the lady insists." He does a mock bow and then gets up to join David. I jump up too, deciding to go help them. Once we're away from camp he says, "What would you like to yell at me about now?"

"Stay away from my daughter." David growls as he reaches up into the trees for vine.

"Well, she can take care of herself; she doesn't need your parenting, which is a good thing." He takes another swig of rum as David and I continue to collect vine.

"What the hell does that mean?" David demands and already I'm regretting coming with them.

"It means you're going to die in a day or so anyway." I elbow my father in the ribs to show him that his words are probably not appreciated by the prince.

"Well there's nothing I can do about that, but if I do die-,"

"When." My father gives a cheeky smile.

"It'll be in helping my family, and that's something someone like you can't ever understand." With that said David walks further ahead of us.

"What if I told you that there might be a way to save you?" My father calls ahead to David who appears to be set on ignoring us now.

"I'd say no! Because anything that takes us away from saving Henry is selfish." David spins around and jabs his finger down at the ground as if that will prove his point. "But of course you would think that's the way to go."

"Bugger off, you think that I'm being selfish? I'm risking my life for all of you! Every moment I'm here aligned against him." My father snarls, his fist clenched as he takes a threatening step towards David.

"Please, you're not here out of any nobility. You came with us looking for your daughter and now you're staying for Emma." David walks towards my father until the two men are standing inches apart. "And let me tell you something else… You're never going to get her. I'll see to that."

"Well it's a good thing you're going to die then." Apparently having heard enough David tries to take a swing, but ends up passing out as my father helps him to the ground. I rush over and inspect David to see that his breathing has gone shallow.

"This isn't good. We need to get him to that spring." I mutter as my father nods his head.

"Agreed. But he won't go willingly. We'll have to come up with some other way to get him there."

"Then we just make up a story about something that will get him there." I lift David's shirt to inspect the cut. The path of the poison is curling towards his heart. "He has hours left… If that." Again, he nods his head and pulls something out from his pocket, dropping it on the ground close to David's body. I raise an eyebrow once I realize what it is and shoot him a questioning look but he shrugs me off and leans down to pour rum in David's mouth.

David quickly comes to, and starts coughing from the burning effect that the rum leaves. "I'm fine!" David tries to get to his feet so I help him and then lean him against the rock.

"The poison has almost reached your heart… You have hours, at most. You might really want to consider telling your family." I tell David, but he's already shaking his head. I roll my eyes just as David notices the object that my father had dropped.

He picks it up off the ground and inspects it. "It's a military insignia…" He wipes off the dirt and flips it over. "Jones." He tosses it to my father. "Do you know him?"

"Aye, he was my captain… And my brother. We voyaged to this far land a long time ago. This was strapped to his satchel; my brother lost it during a duel with Pan. It must have washed down from the storms."

"From where?"

"Dead man's peak." He points upwards, towards the only area in Neverland that has the spring with healing powers. "I thought it was lost forever…"

"What was?" David asks curiously.

"This insignia survived for years… Perhaps my brother's satchel did as well and inside that satchel is a sextant that can help us decode Neal's star map and get us off this island." My father explains, pointing towards dead man's peak.

"I know how I'm going to spend my last hours… We're going to find that thing." David starts to walk away.

"Hey, wait! You might be able to reach the top, but you'll die before you can get it back to your family." I insist. My words seem to hold some logic because David stops and thinks about it.

"Then you two will come with me and make sure the sextant gets back to Emma… Are you ready to be heroes?" With that said David turns and marches back to camp. I try to hide my mischievous smile but when I look back to see my father has the same grin on his own face my face breaks out into a full blown smile as well.

…..

Once we had gathered supplies and given an explanation as to why we are leaving to the others, the three of us have set out for dead man's peak. On the way David and my father talk in hushed tones as I walk farther ahead of them, lost in my own thoughts. Making all that rope with Emma and Mary Margaret had brought back bad memories.

I can remember the day Rufio told me he was in love with me. That was also the day that Peter murdered him. I can remember the pure terror in Rufio's eyes and how helpless I had been when Peter had crushed his heart right in front of me. That memory will forever be burned into my mind, reminding me what a monster Peter Pan really is. And yet, even now, even after he broke my heart I still love him. I probably always will.

As we reach the base of dead man's peak I stop and place my hands on my hips, staring up at the mountain side. "So, which one should climb up first?" I ask look at my father.

"I'll go. You stay down here with David. Make sure he doesn't die halfway up." He says and starts towards the mountain. David shoots him a dry look but nevertheless the two of us watch and wait as my father climbs up the side of the mountain. Even with only one hand, he's able to climb up quickly and without any trouble.

Once he reaches the top he looks down at us and waves. We wave back and he looks like he's about to toss down the rope when something stops him. He steps away from the ledge and David turns to look at me, "What do you think is going on there?" I shake my head. "Well, I'm going to find out."

"Uh, what are you doing? He's going to toss the rope down!"

"No offence Karina, but I don't fully trust your father. I'm climbing up there to see what stopped him." David starts to climb up and I release a heavy sigh before I start to climb up after him. As the two of us climb I can't help but notice David is struggling to climb and I know it must be the poison working its way through his system.

"If you fall, I am not catching you… I hope you know that." I warn, completely serious. Regardless of how serious I am about it David simply laughs and nods his head. As we reach the top I can hear Peter's voice.

"What if I were to sweeten the deal? You can take someone with you. Emma. Unfortunately I can't let you take Karina, she needs to stay."

"Emma would never leave her son, just like I would never leave my daughter." My father replies, sounding bored.

"Really? Because both of you left your children before… Maybe that's why you two like each other so much. You both have no qualms about abandoning your own children." I can hear the laughter in Peter's voice. "We used to do business together before and I think now is the perfect time to start up that friendship."

"What if I'm not interested?"

"Of course you are! Because that's what I always liked about you. You're good at surviving. I guess Karina inherited that from you… After all, she is here _helping_ all of you." The contempt in his voice as he says the word 'helping' causes me to wince. _He's leaving them hints, making it seem like he knows more than they do, which he does. But soon they'll start asking questions… Even now, David's giving me a questioning look._

"What do you mean? What about my daughter?" My father asks dangerously.

"Oh you'll find out soon enough…"

"What do you want me to do?"

"Come be my employee. Do my dirty work." I can hear the smugness in Peter's voice and I could strangle him for it if I was standing right in front of him.

"What dirty work?"

"When the time comes I'll let you know… But for now, I need to know that you've taken my deal.

"So my word, right here and right now… Wouldn't be good enough?" I can't believe that my father is actually considering this! I gnash my teeth together furiously, trying to control every part of my being from launching myself over the edge of that cliff edge and beating both of them.

"You know me, I like action… I'll know you've taken my deal once I see the prince's dead body up on that peak." My father says something too quietly for me to hear. "I want to see you kill him before the poison. I want to see your hook inside his body!" Once again I can't hear anything else. I wait a few moments before David and I share a look, silently agreeing that it's time to make our presence known.

"Bloody hell, I told you to wait!" My father says once he notices David climbing over the edge, me following seconds later.

"Were you talking to someone?"

"Just talking to myself…. It's an old habit from many nights on the lonely seas." My father smiles, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes.

David gestures towards the flask in his hand. "Glad to see you're enjoying the refreshments while you do it."

"Apologies mate! It shouldn't be far now…" I give my father a look as I walk past him but say nothing. He doesn't try to say anything to me either and the three of us walk in silence.

Once we reach our destination I say to David, "Since you're already dying from this stuff… Mind doing the honours?" I gesture towards the huge bush of dreamshade. David nods and goes to pull out his sword, but instead of hacking at the dreamshade he points it at my father's chest.

"I know about your deal with Pan."

"You heard that then." My father raises his arms in surrender and shoots me a look, as if he's asking for my help. "Then you know that I didn't agree."

"You also didn't disagree." David advances and puts more pressure on the sword, causing my father to take several steps back. Only now he has the dreamshade at his back so he has nowhere else to go.

"David, this is what Pan wanted. He knew we were listening and he just wanted us to turn against one another. He's playing his usual tricks." I mutter and my father nods his head quickly. "All you're accomplishing right now is making the poison spread quicker."

"I don't care, all I need to do is get the sextant back to my family and he's going to take me to it."

"There is no sextant!" I exclaim and David's hand that is holding the sword seems to relax a little as he turns to stare in confusion at me. "It was just a story we made up to get you up here! The real reason we wanted you here was so that we could get you to the cure for dreamshade. We knew that you wouldn't come otherwise." David continues to stare at me and I wait for a response, but I don't get one. Instead, David drops his sword and falls to the ground, unconscious. "David!" I shout and rush to his side. "We have to get that water, now!" I say to my father.

"Bloody hell." He mutters and then places his shirt up and over his face, protecting it from the lethal thorns of the dreamshade plants. Then he pulls out his sword and starts cutting away at it, little by little making his way towards the spring.

"Be careful, papa." I say, watching anxiously as he gets through the thick netting of dream shade. Once he manages to get through I pass him David's canteen and he fills it with water from the spring. "Did any of it cut you?" I ask him as he passes the canteen back to me.

He checks himself over and shakes his head. A huge wave of relief washes over me and I nod my head, smiling. "We have to wake him up and give him that water."

"We need to tell him what the consequences will be though." I say to him as I kneel down next to David. I place my hands on David's shoulders and start shaking him to wake him up. "David! You have to wake up, mate." He comes to coughing and breathing hard. I can see the dream shade has now turned the veins in his right cheek black. "Here, the water in this canteen will stop the dreamshade and save your life… But you have to know that once you drink, you're bound to the island. You won't be able to leave. If you try, you die."

David studies it for a minute and then grabs it from me. "If it gives me the chance to get my family home, then it's a price I'm willing to pay." He gives us a mock toast and then downs the contents of the canteen. Immediately it starts to work its magic and the effects of dreamshade slowly slip away from his body. He starts laughing as he feels the effects and my father helps him get to his feet. "One question, why would you two risk your lives to help save mine when there wasn't anything in return for either of you?"

"Just because we're pirates, doesn't mean we're terrible people who are willing to watch an innocent man die." I shrug my shoulders.

"Besides, I didn't do it for you mate." My father winks at him and starts to go back the way we came.

"Well, there's that too." I laugh and so does David before we to start to follow my father.

…..

" _Peter!" I gasp, my eyes going wide. "Don't hurt him! It's not his fault!"_

" _Not his fault?" Peter laughs sadistically. "Of course this is his fault! He touched you! He touched what is mine!"_

" _Pan… I-I'm sorry!" Rufio cries, his dark brown eyes wide with terror as he tries desperately to break out of Peter's hold. "I won't do it again, I promise! I just lost control. It won't happen again!"_

" _You're right, it won't!" Peter replies gleefully. Before I know what is happening Peter's hand is inside Rufio's chest. Rufio lets out a strangled cry and I hear a scream that is so loud it reverberates off the trees. After a moment I realize that I'm the one that screamed._

" _Peter, please don't do this! He's my friend! PETER!" I rush forward and grab Peter's arm, the one that's holding Rufio's heart. "Please, please, please. Let him go!"_

" _You were going to leave with him? You were going to leave me?" Peter snarls._

" _No, no! I wasn't! I would never leave you! Rufio wants to go, so let him leave! Give him his life and you won't ever have to worry about him. He'll leave Neverland and I'll stay. Please! Peter!" Tears are streaming down my face now as I realize my friend's life can be over any second. The rage I see on Peter's face is unlike anything I've seen before. He truly believes that I care more for Rufio than him and that I would actually leave him._

" _Why should I give him his life when he tried to take what's mine?" Peter laughs, but it is a horrible, dark laugh. One that has no amusement in it whatsoever. This kind of laugh sends shivers down my spine and terrifies me to my core._

" _Pan, I'm sorry…" Rufio whispers, tears are in his eyes now but he's stopped fighting, almost like he's accepted his fate._

 _Peter sneers at Rufio and then looks at me, "To teach you that you can't ever leave me." Then he crushes Rufio's heart in his hand and my friend falls to the floor, dead. I scream again and fall to my knees next to Rufio's body, tears streaming down my face._

" _What have you done?!" I scream, holding Rufio's head in my hands. "I wasn't going to leave you! You killed him for no reason!"_

" _No reason?" Peter laughs again. "I had every reason! And now… Now I'm going to give you another lesson." He grabs my arm and drags me to my feet, leading me away from Rufio's dead body. The entire time I scream and fight him, but it's no use. The monster has me in his clutches._

 **A/N:** Well, next chapter… Shit is really going to hit the fan. Haha! So get ready for that. Next chapter is going to be where I start diverting from the show a bit as well so I can do my own ending.

Please take a moment to review!


	20. Chapter Eighteen

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Eighteen ~**

 _Peter continues dragging me through the dark woods of Neverland. Not once does his painful grip on me lessen and at this point there are tears streaming down my cheeks. I've tried everything I can think of to get him to let me go, but nothing seems to work. I've tried begging, fighting, screaming, but I'm trapped._

 _I have no idea where he's taking me or what my next lesson is. My biggest fear is that he's taking me to Baelfire and he's going to make me watch while he kills him too. After all, he must have heard Rufio say that the two of them planned to run away together. If he kills Baelfire in front of me I don't know what I'm going to do. Watching Rufio die was bad enough and I don't think I can ever forget seeing the light go out of his eyes._

" _Felix!" Peter calls joyfully but I know better than to think he's happy. I look up and see Felix standing not too far from us with his club, watching us suspiciously. I try to convey through my eyes that he should run and while I'm sure he got the message he does nothing but shift his feet nervously._

" _Pan… Is everything ok?" He asks, staring at me as he says it. I can tell he's concerned but he's trying very hard not to show it in front of Peter. Despite our differences we are friendly enough to worry about the other. Especially when Peter is in one of his deranged states._

" _No, not really… You see, I need to teach Karina a lesson." Peter's grip gets even tighter and I cry out as I try to pry his fingers from my arm._

" _He killed Rufio." I gasp, looking at Felix whose eyes widen only slightly. Being Peter's longest and most loyal lost boy he understands too big of a reaction will get him in trouble. Peter doesn't like his lost boys being soft._

" _That's right, I did." Peter laughs wickedly. "But he was trying to take what's mine… Like someone else I know! So you're going to help me teach everyone a lesson."_ Oh God, he's talking about Bae. He's delusional if he thinks Baelfire's trying to take me away from him. Now he's going to get Felix to help him kill Baelfire and make me watch. I can't do that; I can't watch another friend die! _Once again I try to fight against Peter's hold, foolishly hoping that if I get away I can warn Bae._

" _What do you need?" Felix asks warily, propping his club over his shoulder. His eyes continuously dart between the two of us._

 _Instead of answering Peter simply smiles darkly and let's go of my arm. I take a few staggering steps back, holding my arm. I look between the two boys in confusion. That's when Peter disappears and reappears again right in front of Felix and then throws him back into a tree._

 _Felix shouts in surprise and I rush forward when Peter throws his hand out. Suddenly I'm completely frozen, unable to move or talk. All I can do is watch in horror as Peter leans down to whisper in Felix's ear, "You and Karina have gotten pretty close since she got here… I can't have that happen. I can't have her getting too close to anyone, so you're going to serve as a living reminder about what happens when anyone tries to take Karina away from me."_

" _P-Pan…" Felix stutters, true fear in his eyes. That's when Peter takes out his dagger and dangles it right over Felix's eye. Every part of me wants to scream and attack Peter but I can't._

" _Don't. Touch. What's. Mine!" Then he drives the dagger down onto Felix's forehead and drives it down his nose and past his eye, ignoring Felix's cries as he does so. He narrowly misses Felix's eye and a part of me is relieved that Felix will still have his eyesight but as the blood gushes from the wound and drips down his face, that little bit of relief I felt is quickly vanishing._

 _Just as quickly as Peter maimed his most loyal follower he disappears and the spell he cast on me wears off. I fall to my knees, weak and sobbing. Felix also slides down the trunk of the tree, clutching at his face and screaming in agony. I crawl over to Felix and grab his bloody hand, holding onto it as tightly as I can with both my hands. Neither of us says a word as the weight of what just happened lands on our shoulders, practically crushing us._

…..

David, my father and I make it back to camp not long after leaving dead man's peak. Now that David isn't weak and dying we are able to move at a much quicker pace. Also, because David is no longer dying he is excited to get back and see his wife and daughter again, especially now that he knows he isn't dying.

When we arrive the others are excited to see us, but that excitement is diminished a little when they learn that we don't have the sextant. As David and Mary Margaret continue to suck each other's faces the rest of us look around awkwardly, wondering when they'll finish.

Suddenly David says, "Hook and Karina, they saved my life." The others turn to look at my father and I, clearly surprised.

"Are you sure you want to tell them that, mate?" My father asks and David nods his head, grinning.

"On our trek we were ambushed by lost boys… Pinned down and outnumbered. But Hook and Karina, they risked their lives to stop me from getting hit by a poisoned arrow… If it wasn't for these two, I wouldn't be alive." He walks towards us and holds out his hand. "Your flask, please." My father hands it to him and David holds it in the air. "I thought they deserved a little credit."

"Thank you…" I say, dumbstruck and my father repeats my words, looking equally shocked by this turn of events, as well as David's change in opinion of him.

David takes a drink of the rum and I can't help but smile a little when he coughs before handing the flask off to his wife. "To Hook and Karina!" Mary Margaret flashes us a wide smile before she too takes a swig of the liquid.

She tries to pass it off to Regina who says, "I don't do rum." And then walks away. So Mary Margaret passes it to her daughter instead.

"To Hook and Karina."

"Huh." I say and shake my head with a laugh. "There's something you don't see every day." I give my father a funny look before I walk away, leaving him and Emma alone to flirt or whatever it is the two of them like to do.

I drop my bag on the ground and sit down on one of the bigger boulders, happy to be back and off my feet for a while. That's when Regina walks up to me and says, "Karina, we need food. Make yourself useful." I roll my eyes and heave a heavy sigh but get to my feet anyways. I walk over to Mary Margaret who's still admonishing her husband for getting into a dangerous situation with lost boys.

"Hey, can I borrow your bow and arrow? Regina wants me to go get some food and I'm better at hunting with those. I promise I'll save all your arrows and if I can't… Well, I'll just steal one or two from the lost boys." I grin mischievously and she laughs, nodding her head as she hands me her weapon. I thank her and strap the arrows to my back before I set out for food.

I manage to shoot and kill a few birds while out hunting and I bring them back to the camp, feeling pretty proud of myself for still being exceptional at hunting with a bow and arrow. However, before I can even drop the dead birds next to the fire Emma is on me and pushing me back into a tree. I cry out, more from shock than pain. I stare at her in surprise as she bunches the front of my shirt in her fist and stares at me furiously. In that instant, I know that she knows and I'm barely able to hide my panic.

"Emma!" I hear Mary Margaret cry as the others rush over. My father is nowhere to be found and that makes me nervous. Out of everyone here I know he'll protect me, but while he's gone there's no telling what the others will do. I can't fight all of them, especially not while Regina has magic.

"What are you doing?" David asks as he stares at his daughter in shock.

"Karina wants to kill Henry." Emma replies in a low tone. She doesn't look at any of them, only me. Emma's parents gasp and Regina's eyes narrow.

"Seriously Emma? Who told you that? Pan? We all know he can't be trusted!" I shake my head and try to laugh but it sounds forced and I know Emma isn't buying it.

"Yes, but I seem to recall you telling me that you used to be a murderer and a villain before my curse hit." Regina interjects. David and Mary Margaret turn to look at Regina, eyes wide.

"Yea, because I was a pirate! Not because I was plotting to kill Henry!" I shriek and try to push Emma off of me, only for her to slam me against the tree again. I cry out because this time it really did hurt.

"Really? Because you used to live here and everyone else who lives here always seems to say things that you have to explain away… And the panic I just saw in your eyes when I accused you of plotting to kill Henry tells a whole other story." Emma whispers and I look around at the others to see their faces hardening. "Tell us the truth Karina! We know you were the first lost girl, but clearly you weren't as reluctant as you made it seem."

I close my eyes and curse Peter in my head. There's no going back from this. They won't trust me again. I knew this was going to happen but I had foolishly kept lying to myself and lured myself into a false sense of security. Now the truth is out and I'm about to find myself as the outsider of a war with no real allies.

I know the best I can do now is to tell the truth and hope that they'll believe me when I say that I really don't want to kill Henry anymore. "Fine… I did help Pan plot to kill Henry. But only because I was a stupid blind fool who believed in the lies he was telling me. I used to be a terrible, terrible person. I had every intention to help him kill Henry, but not anymore, I _swear_. I really am on your side. I want to help you guys save Henry. Believe it or not, but he's like a little brother to me now, I couldn't even fathom killing him."

"Why should we believe you?" David asks angrily. "You could be lying to us right now! For all we know you could be waiting for us to find Henry and then kill him once we get him back from Pan. You could still be loyal to him."

"I'm not." I try to say it with as much bitterness as I can muster, but I find it comes out weak and pathetic sounding; not at all like I intended. I become angry with myself for not being more convincing.

"I should kill you." Regina seethes, making a ball of fire appear in her hands. "You're nothing but a traitor."

"No! I swear I'm not!" I cry. "Yes, I was evil, yes I was a lost girl loyal to Pan and yes I lied to all of you about who I really was… But I'm not that person anymore! None of you can seriously tell me that you didn't lie about the terrible things you've done."

"Hey!" I snap my head to the side and see my father come storming into the clearing. He grabs Emma and rips her off of me. He steps in front of me and points at the others. "Do not touch her." His tone is lethal as he stares the others down.

"Hook, she was planning on killing Henry!" Emma insists, pointing at me.

"No I wasn't! I told you I was just a stupid girl who believed Pan's lies! I don't want to kill Henry anymore." I look up at my father with wide eyes, begging him to believe me.

He stares me down for a long moment before he nods. "I believe her. Hate to say it, but I think I know my daughter better than the rest of you lot. Pan's a tricky little demon; he could have easily bewitched her. But I've seen the relationship she has with the boy and I can't see her trying to kill him anymore."

"Because the judgement that you have of your daughter that you've barely known for five minutes is so reliable?" Regina asks sarcastically.

"I believe her." Mary Margaret speaks up and the others turn to gape at her, including me. "Hook's right… The relationship she has with Henry now… It's a lot different than someone who wants to kill him. I used to see the way they were together; they adore each other like siblings."

"So you think we should trust her? After her past? Mary Margaret, Pan told me everything about her past here in Neverland. She's not someone we can trust." Emma insists and I try to school my reaction, wondering just how much he really told her. I have a feeling he didn't tell her about how we were involved romantically, otherwise her reaction would have been a lot worse.

"Oh, I'm not saying we trust her. But if she really did have such a close bond with Pan and the other lost boys, we can use that to our advantage. I say we bring her along and keep an eye on her. If she tries anything… Then we deal with her." Mary Margaret suggests, looking to her daughter who clearly has the final say on this issue.

My eyes dart between everyone and I flinch when I see everyone but my father glaring back at me. My heart is pounding in my chest and my palms are sweating as I wait for Emma's decision. While I know they won't kill me, they are still heroes; their treatment of me won't be kind. Henry is their family and in their eyes I've threatened him and that can't be forgiven, not until I prove myself.

"Fine." Emma says and Regina starts to protest. "We tie her up and watch her." She gives Regina a firm look and then walks towards me until we're standing toe to toe. "But if you try anything… If you hurt Henry… Not even Hook can save you."

"Understood." I meet her fierce gaze unflinchingly.

"Get her some rope; let's tie her to that tree." Emma orders her father who quickly goes to grab some rope and then drags me to the tree Emma pointed out. I fight hard to keep the smirk off my face as I silently laugh at David's harsh treatment. I helped save his life just hours ago and he won't even give me the benefit of the doubt. _Can I really blame him though? I lied to all of them for long… Now they know just how terrible I used to be. I can't run from who I was anymore._

David ties my hands together and then ties the rest of the rope to the tree. Then he crosses the clearing to sit with the others as they prepare the food that I hunted for them. Again, I fight to keep the smile off my face. I'm a traitor but they have no problem eating the food the traitor hunted for them. I curl my knees up to my chest and rest my head against the trunk, closing my eyes.

I don't know how long I stay like that until I feel someone sit next to me. I open my eyes to see my father sitting there with a plate of food. "I thought you might be hungry." I shake my head and close my eyes again, going back to the same position. Last thing I want is to be spoon fed by my father. I'm sure Pan's watching right now, laughing his ass off at my misfortune.

"Thanks for defending me back there… I know I don't deserve it." I say, keeping my eyes closed even though I'm desperate to see his reaction to my words.

He waits such a long time before he replies that I almost think he got up and left. "You do deserve it… For all the years I couldn't be there for you." I open my eyes to look at him only to find him staring off into the trees. "Karina… I'm so sorry for what happened to you. Truly. If I had been a better father I could've protected you from all the harsh realities of the world. It's all a father wants… To protect his child from evil. But I failed and because I failed you fell into the clutches of a demon who twisted your thoughts." He turns to look at me then. "I'm so, _so_ sorry."

Tears fill my eyes and I whisper, "It's not your fault, Papa." My voice breaks on that last word and he drops the plate of food before reaching towards me and wrapping me up in a hug. It feels nice to be in his embrace and I find myself hoping he'll never let go as I let myself truly relax. I only wish that I could wrap my arms around his neck and hug him with as much strength as I can muster.

Eventually he pulls away and I wish he hadn't. "We're all going to go to sleep soon. I tried convincing the others to untie you so you can sleep more comfortably, but they won't allow it. I'm sorry."

"It's ok, I figured as much." I shrug and pull on the ropes a little bit.

"They want someone to stay up a watch you… You being a pirate and all… They're worried you're going to be able to get out the ropes." This time I can see a tiny bit of a mischievous light in his eyes, and I can't help but smile at it.

"Well, while that may be true, I'm not going anywhere. I was telling the truth when I said I don't want to kill Henry anymore. I'm no longer that person… So I'm going to stick around and endure this discomfort so I can prove myself." I nod my head determinedly but I still find myself wincing when the ropes cut into my wrists. David had tied them rather tight and I can already see red markings showing up on my wrists.

"I know; that's what I told them. But I wouldn't be surprised if Regina stayed up and gave you the evil eye all night." He gives me a small, sad smile and shrugs his shoulders. "Here, I'll wrap your sleeping bag around your shoulders, so you can stay warm… Hopefully you can get some sleep." He gets to his feet and grabs my sleeping bag, draping it over my shoulders.

"Thanks." I don't bother telling him that it's too bloody hot in Neverland most nights that I'll probably end up shrugging it off. It's a nice gesture and I appreciate him doing it.

"You're welcome… Are you sure you don't want any food?" He seems worried about my lack of eating and I can't stop my smile.

"I'll be fine, papa. Go to bed." I nod towards his sleeping bag. The others had already climbed into theirs, though they were all watching us interact and not even trying to hide it.

My papa nods his head again and then heads off to his sleeping bed. "Good night." He says and I nod again before I close my eyes, leaning my head against the trunk of the tree once again.

It doesn't take long for the clearing to be filled with soft snoring and I try to join the others in sleep. However, I'm too uncomfortable to fall asleep and when my butt starts to feel numb I release an aggravated sigh. I look around to see if anyone is still awake, hoping someone will be nice enough to help me move positions.

I'm surprised to see everyone sleeping soundly. I fully expected Emma or Regina to be awake and watching me. My confusion doesn't last long though as I notice Pan stepping out of the shadows, a smirk on his face. "Let me guess… Sleeping spell?" I nod towards the others and he simply raises a brow and smirks even more.

I wait a long time for him to say something, but he simply stands there with his arms crossed over his chest and an infuriating smirk on his face. I finally have enough of the heavy silence so I decide to bring up the elephant in the room. "So I'm sure you are thoroughly enjoying this." I raise my bound hands and purse my lips.

"I'd be enjoying it more if you were tied up in my bed." He shrugs and I roll my eyes, completely unfazed by his innuendo.

"Emma said you told her everything about my life here in Neverland…" I trail off, not looking at him as I hold my breath and wait for a response.

"I didn't tell her about _us_ if that's what you're worried about." He walks over to me and sits down next to me, placing his hands on his knees. I notice him studying the red markings on my wrist and he reaches up, placing his hand over my wrists. I feel a small burst of heat and then he pulls away, revealing my skin to be smooth and untarnished once again. "That'll protect you from anymore damage."

"That's generous of you considering I'm in this position because of you." He shoots me a dark look but says nothing. "Why didn't you tell Emma about us? I figured that would be one of the first things you told her." Once again I get no response other than an annoyed look. "Why did you decide to tell Emma anything about my time here? Is her knowing and me suffering part of your game?" Another look. "Ok! Obviously you didn't come here to chat… So what do you want?"

"I told Emma because I hate seeing you with them, acting like all of you are friends. You aren't one of them. You never were and you never will be. You're a lost girl, one of us." He shakes his head ruefully. "Look what they've done to you! They would barely even hear your side of the story before they tied you to a tree and started treating you like an animal."

"My father listened."

"Only because he feels guilty. He's trying to make amends for the way he forgot all about you." He laughs, but it has no humor.

"Well, from what I remember, you and the other lost boys didn't treat me so great all the time either." While it's true that the lost boys were horrible to me in the beginning I eventually gained their respect and they started treating me like a sister. Peter on the other hand always had moments where he was vicious and I was so in love with him I let it happen.

"But we're your family! And yet you choose to align yourself against us and help _them_." I notice that he's starting to shake with his rage and I know it is best that I calm him down.

"I know… And for that I'm sorry…" I look down at my bound hands, chewing on my bottom lip. I wait a while for Peter to calm down before I ask, "So why didn't you tell Emma about us?"

"Because that's something I want you to tell them." I snap my head up to stare at him in shock. "You refused to tell them about your true family so I did it for you. Now I need you to tell them the last bit of your past and all will be forgiven. I'll welcome you back, no punishments."

"W-What? Why? Why do you want me to do that?" I shake my head, trying to clear my jumbled thoughts. Peter gets up to his feet and wipes off his pants.

"Because once they know everything they will never accept you again. You will have truly lost everything, just like you did before… All those years ago when Rumplestilskin kidnapped you and you lost all hope. I was there to pick up the pieces and save you… I'll do it again, but you need to tell them about us. When you think about it, I'm saving you from a life of being their prisoner." His eyes have taken on that mischievous glint again and I know he's about to offer me a game.

"And if I don't?"

"Think of it this way… You can tell Emma and everyone else about us of your own free will, or I'm going to force you. Either way, you tell them and I win." He throws out his arms and grins wickedly.

"What kind of game is that?" I demand angrily.

"The kind of game where I get what I want!" He says it as if that should be obvious. Then he steps towards me and cups one of his hands at the back of my neck, forcing his lips down to mine. He tries to force his tongue into my mouth but I bite his bottom lip as hard as I can, drawing blood. He jumps back and wipes at his mouth, laughing. "There's that fire." He groans, staring at me hotly.

"Go to hell." I snarl and try to kick at him, but he dodges my foot.

"Oh darling, if I go to hell, I'm taking you with me." Laughing he leaves the clearing, disappearing before he even hits the treeline.

 **A/N:** Oh, Pan… That's all I can say. Haha!

Please take a moment to review!


	21. Chapter Nineteen

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Nineteen ~**

I must have fallen asleep sometime after Peter left because the next time I wake up to see that the others are also awake. I pull on the ropes binding my hands together and am pleased when there is no pain and no red marks. I guess Peter wasn't lying about healing me after all.

I turn my attention to Emma and Regina, curious as to why they are staring so intensely at a fire pit that has no fire when I realize Regina is trying to teach Emma how to use her magic. Emma's parents are sitting not too far off, watching as well. Meanwhile my father is nowhere to be seen.

"You're such a pathetic waste of ability!" Regina cries, turning her back on Emma and the fire pit.

"And you're a monster!" Emma counters irritably. However, the anger Emma had must have worked because I notice a small pillar of smoke rising from the once desolate fire pit. I raise an eyebrow, impressed that she managed such a thing.

My father comes back a short time later and has a hushed conversation with David and Mary Margaret. The three of them get to their feet and huddle at the edge of the clearing and I must admit that I'm burning with curiosity. I would love to know what they are talking about. I hate being out of the loop.

I suppose I don't have to wait long to find out because shortly after my father is done talking to David and Mary Margaret he walks over to me, casting a suspicious glance at Emma and Regina who don't seem to notice. "I saw Pan… He told me that Neal is still alive." My father says as he immediately sits down next to me.

I feel my eyes go wide as shock and anger course through me. _I can't believe Peter didn't tell me Neal is alive…_ "He could be lying." I say automatically and my father already starts to shake his head.

"I don't think so. There's evidence that points to him being alive… I talked to David and Mary Margaret; we're going to try to find him before we tell Emma. We don't want to hurt her unnecessarily." He glances around surreptitiously, as if he expects Emma to be standing over his shoulder and listening to his every word.

"Yes, because last thing we want is for dear Emma to be hurt." I roll my eyes and he gives me a sympathetic look.

"I managed to talk them into letting you come. They still don't trust you, but they agree that it will be better to have someone along who knows the island so well." I'm shocked by these words, mostly because I figured they were simply planning to leave me tied to a tree for the rest of my life. "Think of it as a way to redeem yourself."

"Oh I'll do anything if it means I get to sleep lying down tonight." As if my body wants to prove my point, it releases a huge yawn. My father smiles gently and then uses his hook to cut the ropes binding my wrists.

I jump to my feet and immediately stretch as I relish in the feeling of working my muscles. My butt is pretty happy to be off the ground now too, it went numb a long time ago. "Better?" My father asks, laughing at the smile of pure joy on my face. I simply nod my head as I continue to stretch.

"What is she doing untied?" Regina asks, storming over to us. Her hands rest on her hips and she looks ready to tie my sorry butt back to that tree any second.

"I'm taking her for a walk. Stretch her legs… It's not good for her to just sit there the entire time." My father sighs tiredly. "But don't worry, your Majesty. I won't let her do anything dastardly and villainous."

I can't help but laugh when I realize he's mocking the queen. Regina narrows her eyes at the two of us. "If she gets away…" She points her finger at my father, her finger resting just underneath his chin.

He moves out of her pointing finger and rolls his eyes. He doesn't say anything, simply grabs my arm and leads me over to Mary Margaret and David. I notice Emma watching the entire thing suspiciously.

It appears that Mary Margaret and David are already prepared to leave as we reach them. "If we're going to hide this we need a good cover story."

"Got it." Both men say, nodding at one another just as Emma walks up to our group.

"Where are you guys going?" She asks, looking between the four of us rather skeptically.

"Karina needs to stretch her legs." My father says.

"We're getting water." David says at the exact same time. Both men look at one another and my father rolls his eyes.

Emma, not being a complete fool, quickly catches on that the two men aren't being entirely truthful. "Guys, what's going on?"

"Neal's alive." Mary Margaret replies. Immediately, the three of us turn to look at her in shock and annoyance since she clearly doesn't seem to know what a secret is supposed to be. When she notices the three of us staring at her she says, "Sorry, she deserved to know."

"N-Neal… He's… Alive?" Emma whispers, looking dumbfounded by the new information presented to her.

"Maybe!" Mary Margaret quickly interjects.

"This is a waste of time!" Regina exclaims, pointing at all of us. "He's toying with us."

"I don't think so." Mary Margaret gestures towards some bushes, showing that some of the branches are broken. "Look! More scuffling. Someone was definitely resisting."

I'm tempted to point out that there is a good possibility that the person who was resisting could easily be someone who isn't presumed dead. However, I think if I start voicing my pessimistic thoughts I might end up tied to a tree again.

"How do we know that means Neal?" Emma voices my own thoughts.

"Well we know someone was fighting for his life." Mary Margaret once again motions towards the bushes and the tracks in the dirt.

"Are you really going to fall for this?" Regina asks angrily. When Emma doesn't answer she releases a short, harsh laugh that has no humor to it whatsoever. "Fine, you want to follow the evil munchkin's dirt road… Be my guest!" She starts to walk away, pushing me aside as she goes.

I purse my lips and try very hard not to throw one of my daggers at the back of her head. I assume my father must have guessed by thoughts because he shoots me a reprimanding look with a firm shake of his head.

"Where are you going?" Emma asks.

"To save our son!" Regina cries incredulously.

"We need to stick together."

"No we don't. You may be prepared to risk Henry's life over some heartbroken fool's errand but I'm not. I'm _tired_ of waiting around." She shoots all of us nasty looks as if she's daring anyone to argue with her. When nobody says a thing she walks away, right out of the large clearing.

"What if she's right?" Emma turns to her mom. "Pan could be lying."

"Just because something seems too good to be true, doesn't mean it is. Don't give up. You owe it to Henry to find out if his father is still alive and you owe it to yourself." Mary Margaret smiles serenely and I can't help but wonder where she gets all the optimism. Someone who's had so many horrible things happen to her I would expect her to be a little bit more pessimistic about, well, _everything_. Except she acts like she eats optimism for breakfast.

In the end, Emma makes the decision to go looking for Neal, as I knew she would. Of course, she threatens me a few times, letting me know that she won't be afraid to tie me to a tree and leave me there if I try anything. I assure her I have no intention of doing any such thing and shortly after that our group heads off in search of Neal.

Mary Margaret leads the way since she's the best at tracking, with the rest of us trying to keep up with her fast walking pace. I don't pay much attention to where she's leading us until we actually arrive at the destination. As I look around I start to feel nervous as I realize where we are.

"The tracks lead directly into that cave… This must be where they're keeping Neal." Mary Margaret tells us as she lowers her lantern and inspects the small opening of the cave.

"If this cave is some sort of prison, why aren't there any guards out here to stop us?" David questions as he moves forward to inspect the cave as well.

"Because this cave doesn't need it." I mutter and the others turn to look at me. "This is the echo cave… The only way to rescue someone from inside is to reveal a secret. But not just any secret, it has to be the darkest secret you've got. One that is hidden so deep within yourself, no one else knows it. The echo caves name comes from an old saying, 'the deeper the lie, the more truth in its echo'. The cave demands that you reveal a secret about yourself that you would never admit to anyone… Not even yourself most times. That's the only way you can get out of this cave alive."

"This is ridiculous." Emma exhales angrily. She looks at me as though I'm making everything up.

"Hey, don't kill the messenger. I'm just telling you what I've been told." I raise my hands in self defense.

"Even if we spill our guts, how do we know Neal's still alive in there?" Emma demands as she rests her hand on the wall of the cave.

"Because this is what Pan wants… He's hoping we'll destroy each other with our secrets… I mean, look at you. You're ready to behead me because you found out one of my darkest secrets. Imagine what will happen when all of us start spilling our guts to save Neal." I shrug my shoulders and for the first time since I started my explanation Emma actually appears wary.

"Well, if we're going to do this, let's get it over with." Emma mutters and motions for me to lead the way. I sigh and march into the cave, determined to get through this with as much dignity as possible. They already know one of my darkest secrets; I can't even imagine what else I'm going to tell them.

We barely make it through the entrance of the cave before we've come into a large empty cavern with Neal trapped in a cage at the very centre. There's no way to get across and nothing around that could help us even try.

Emma starts to look sick as she realizes that Neal is in fact alive and not too far away from her. "Emma!" He shouts, his cry echoing through the cave. She winces, taking a step back as she looks around nervously.

"This must be a hundred feet across." Mary Margaret shakes her head.

"Even if we fashion some kind of rope, there's nothing to attach it to. No way to swing over." David looks around, but finds nothing that will help.

"So what do we do?" Emma asks.

"I told you what needs to be done." I sigh, annoyed because I really don't feel like repeating myself. "Consider this the moment of truth… Now, who would like to kick things off? Anyone?"

"So what? Someone tells their secret and they sprout wings?" Emma mutters sarcastically.

"I don't know… Like I said, I told you what I've been told. Though growing wings would be pretty cool." I shrug my shoulders and grin, but no one else seems to find it amusing.

"How do you know it will work?" David asks. Again I shrug my shoulders.

"I guess there's only one way to find out." My father says. Now it's his turn to look sick as he rubs his face with his good hand. "I kissed Emma."

"You what?" David asks angrily at the same time his wife reprimands him. Meanwhile I scrunch up my nose in disgust. Although I'm definitely old enough to be ok with my father kissing someone, that doesn't necessarily mean that I am. He's still my dad and the thought of him kissing anyone kind of grosses me out.

"I already told Mary Margaret, so technically it's not a secret. Besides, it was just a kiss. How is that your darkest secret?" Emma looks at him with confusion.

"It's what the kiss exposed." He says and I briefly wonder if I want to listen to this. "My secret is, I never thought I would be capable of letting go of my first love… Of my Milah. To believe that I could find someone else; that is, until I met you." The two share an intense look which is only broken by the entire cavern shaking as a path suddenly sprouts out in front of us. However, the path is only a small piece and I know that there are many more secrets that need to be revealed in order for it to become fully grown.

Once everyone sees the path they know that I was telling the truth. Mary Margaret tells her secret next, that she wants to have another child. David looks overjoyed, but also sick to his stomach as he finally reveals that he had been poisoned by dreamshade and healed, only to seal his fate to stay on the island forever.

With their secrets the path becomes almost fully grown; however it looks as though it needs one more to be complete. Everyone turns to me and I feel my heart drop. I look at each of them and then point at Emma, "Hey! She can tell a secret, you guys already know mine."

"Somehow, I highly doubt that." David replies bitterly. "Fess up Karina… I think it's time you told us everything." The others nod their heads in agreement, including my father.

That's when the horror sets in as I realize Peter's plan. It hadn't been for us to destroy one another; he doesn't care about any of them. He probably isn't even concerned over Neal. This whole thing was for me. He told me he wanted me to tell them about us, and if I didn't he was going to make me… This is his way of doing just that.

I make the decision in a split second, I try to bolt but my father must have realized it and he lunges for me, grabbing onto me and keeping me in place. "No!" I shriek and start pounding my fists on his arms. He grunts, but he holds onto me, in fact he even tightens his grip. "Let me go! Don't you see? This is what he wants? None of this was for you! It was for me! _Let me go!_ " I start crying as I continue to escape my father's clutches.

All I can think as I try to escape is how I don't want Peter to know. He may think he knows everything, but there's one thing I've kept, even from him. Once he knows it I will have lost all power against him. I'll officially be his plaything again.

"Easy there, love." My father tries to soothe me, but it only has the opposite effect. Finally, I grow tired and stop fighting as tears stain my cheeks.

"Fine, you want to know my last secret?" I demand, knowing I must look feral as I stare the others down in pure rage. "I wasn't just a lost girl, loyal to Pan. _I. Was. The. Queen!_ I was in love with him, so completely in love with him that not only would I kill for him, but I would die for him too. And the worst part? My darkest secret? I'm still in love with him… And I always will be. I love a monster, and I guess that makes me a monster too."

The others stare at me, Emma and her father look angry and disgusted while Mary Margaret looks on with pity. I don't know what my father looks like but his grip on me loosens as the ground shakes again, finishing the path. I force my way out of my father's grasp and land on the floor by his feet, covering my face as I sob uncontrollably.

 _He's officially won… I have nothing left against him._

I don't even pay attention as Emma rescues Neal but when it's time to leave the cave I refuse to look at anyone as I'm sure my face must be red from crying. Suddenly I feel a hand clasp my shoulder and look up into Neal's brown eyes.

"I heard what you said…" I freeze and expect him to launch into a disapproving rant. However, he wraps his arm around my shoulder. "It's ok to love a monster, and that doesn't make you one. It just makes you human… You can't help who you love." He smiles softly and I can't help but relax into my best friend's embrace.

"He's never going to let me go now." I whisper brokenly.

"I know." That's all he says because that's all he can say. Both of us know there will be no escape for me now. I'm never getting back to Storybrooke.

As the others come out Neal turns to them and thanks them. "Don't thank us yet, we still have to save Henry." David replies.

"We found your star map… Now the question is, can you navigate it to get us home?" My father asks, inspecting him closely.

"If we can find Henry, I can get us home." Neal nods his head, looking determined.

"Then let's go get Tinkerbell and retrieve the boy." Everyone starts to follow my father back down the path from which we came. Only Emma and Neal stay behind as I'm sure they'll want to speak with one another about everything that's happened.

…..

We head back to camp and I'm surprised when no one ties me up again. However, I don't feel like sitting with the rest of them and socialising so I head back to my sleeping bag and curl up into a ball. I feel tears forming in my eyes and I try to desperately to keep them from falling.

After a while my father comes to sit next to me. He doesn't say a word and neither do I. The two of us simply sit in silence as I anxiously chew on my lip. Despite myself, I'm worried about his opinion the most out of everyone. He hates Peter just as much as the others; it can't be easy for him to have a kid who's in love with the enemy.

Finally, after several long minutes my father reaches out and places his hand in my hair, rubbing soothing circles. As though that's all my body needs, the tears start to flow despite my best efforts to keep them at bay.

"Sh, sh, sh…" My father whispers and then tugs on my arm a bit, gesturing for me to sit up. I do so and he wraps an arm around me, pulling me tight to his chest as he places his chin on the top of my head. It reminds me so much of when I was a little girl. I would wake up from nightmares, screaming and my papa would come in and soothe me. Then he would stay with me the entire night, soothing me any time I would get scared.

"I love him, papa." I gasp and wrap my arm around his torso, hugging myself even closer to him.

"I know… And that's ok." That's all he says and that's all I need. I smile softly and tighten my grip even more. The two of us stay in the same position for a very long time, neither of us saying anything else.

….

Much later when the others are sleeping I decide to go face the music. I get up, wiping off my pants and head off into a random direction of the jungle. I know he'll approach me as soon as I'm far enough away. It doesn't matter which direction I go. He'll just use his magic to appear out of nowhere.

Sure enough, he appears in front of me, leaning casually against a tree. I roll my eyes when I see the satisfied smirk stretching his lips back. "Are you happy now?" I ask, throwing out my arms and raising an eyebrow.

"Ecstatic." He replies, turning to look at me and raising his own eyebrows as he slowly approaches me. "I even got dear old dad's blessings." His grin gets impossibly larger and I wish I could smack it off his face.

"I wouldn't go that far." I mutter, rolling my eyes again.

Suddenly Peter grabs my waist and pulls me towards him until I'm flush against him. "Once this is all over you and I will be together. Forever." Before I even get a chance to respond he crashes his lips to mine, tangling his fingers in my hair. I clutch his shoulders, eagerly accepting his assault on my mouth. He bites my bottom lip, causing me to gasp and giving his tongue full access to my mouth. My hands travel up to his hair as he pulls away and starts to kiss along my jawline and then down my neck. He moves his hands down to my butt, slapping it before pushing me up against a tree.

I lean my head back against the tree and close my eyes and smile. Peter releases a feral growl and then uses his hand to roughly bring my head back up and crash his mouth to mine again. I must admit that being in his arms again is something I've been missing desperately. So much so that it has left a huge aching hole in my chest.

A part of me doesn't want it to end but I know I can't be gone too long or I run the risk of someone waking up and discovering me gone. I place my hands on his chest and push him away. "Ok, easy there… I need to get back."

"I'm going to kill them all." Peter says suddenly and I freeze. "Not only am I going to kill them for trying to come against me, but also for the way they have treated you."

"Peter…" I try to interject.

"Just because you've admitted your feelings, it doesn't change how this is going to end… I'm still going to win and everyone who has come up against me will be dead… Well, everyone except you." He starts to caress my cheek but I slap his hand away.

"Peter, you have to let them all go. If you kill _any_ of them, including Henry, I won't be able to forgive you." I growl, stabbing his chest with my index finger.

He narrows his eyes and I see the anger set in. "You know why I need Henry… Besides, you don't really have a say in what is about to happen. You're still on the enemy's team. All you have done today is granted yourself immunity from the fun I have planned for the others."

"Peter…" I say warningly.

He leans forward and pecks my lips quickly. "Sweet dreams." Then he disappears.

 **A/N:** Well, that was an eventful chapter. Haha, I hope everyone liked the chapter. I'm interested to hear your thoughts.

Please take a moment to review!


	22. Chapter Twenty

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Twenty ~**

"Pan's shadow?" Emma exclaims. " _That's_ your way off the island? I thought you could navigate the stars?"

"I know how to navigate the stars… But I can't fly." Neal replies as the others exchange nervous glances. It's no secret that anything associated with Peter Pan, even his shadow is bound to cause some nasty problems along the way.

"I'm guessing that's where the shadow comes in?" Mary Margaret asks, to which Neal nods his head.

"Which is why we have to capture it."

"Capture it?" Emma demands incredulously. "We've never been within ten feet of Pan unless he wanted us to be… Sneaking up on him to steal his shadow sounds insane."

"Except Pan's shadow is rarely with him." I speak up from my spot next to my father. The others had decided to forgo tying me up, mostly because Neal convinced them that I'm not a threat. Emma, of course, was quick to tell him all about mine and Peter's plans to kill Henry. Surprisingly, Neal believed me when I told him that those weren't my plans anymore. So now the others believe that if Neal trusts me, so will they. To be honest I think they mostly pity me after the echo caves.

"What do you mean? How is that possible?" Mary Margaret asks.

I shrug my shoulders. "I don't really know, but the shadow is its own entity. It has never been a part of Pan for as long as I've known him. It can carry out his wishes from miles away."

"What does that mean for us?" David asks, raising his eyebrows.

"It means we can get his shadow without being anywhere near Pan… As long as we know where to look, which I do." Neal explains for me and I nod my head.

"Ok." Emma gets to her feet. "Then you and I are on shadow duty."

"As am I!" My father quickly volunteers. "This trek won't be easy; you could us another veteran of the island."

"Thanks man." Neal nods his head, completely oblivious to my father's real motives for offering his assistance.

"Well in the meantime we'll give Tinkerbell a head's up. She can make good on her promise to get us into Pan's camp." David says, already turning to go pack his stuff. "Karina, who are you going to go with?"

I look between the two groups back and forth several times, biting my lip. "I'm trying to figure out which group is going to be more awkward for me…" I can choose to watch my father and my best friend fight over a girl, or I can watch a marital dispute. Ever since the cave David and Mary Margaret have been fighting and quite frankly neither of my options sounds very appealing.

"Well then, you're coming with us. Neal may trust you, but I don't. I'm not letting you out of my sight." Emma orders and I roll my eyes. "We'll get the shadow and then we'll all meet back up at Tink's." Everybody nods, clear on the orders.

Neal and I lead the way while Emma and Hook walk further behind. With Emma further back I take this time to question Neal. "Why did you believe me when I said I don't want to kill Henry anymore?"

"Do you?" He turns to me with a raised eyebrow.

"No! No, of course not! It's just… No one else believed me. I don't even think my father fully believed me; he was just sticking up for me because I'm his kid… But you… You just believed I was telling the truth and you didn't ask any questions." I look up at him, trying to search his face for any indication of his intentions.

"Karina, I knew who you were and I've seen who you are now… There's no way you want to kill my son. Besides, I heard the way Henry talked about you, he adores you and I know the feeling is mutual. Out of everyone, I know you're one of the last people who would hurt him." He says all this while looking ahead of us with a straight face, but when he turns to me and sees my look of shock he laughs. "What? You don't believe that you can change?"

"Once a villain, always a villain right?" I mutter sarcastically. Although I relished in being a villain at the time I've come to regret that part of my life. Don't get me wrong, I could never fully be a hero because I'm still a selfish, angry and pessimistic person. However, murdering, lying, stealing and cheating are all things I did and now regret. But I can never wipe that part of my past clean. It will always be a part of me, and something I'm going to have to live with for the rest of my life.

"Nah, I don't believe that." Neal shakes his head and then smiles again, only this time it's gentler. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and hugs me close. "You know, I missed you a lot."

"I missed you too… And Rufio." I sigh and Neal sighs too, looking heartbroken over our fallen friend.

The both of us stay quiet for a long time until Neal finally says, "I know you're ashamed about your past… But you will never be as bad as Pan. Nothing you could have ever done in your life will make you anywhere near as bad as him. So at least hold onto that…" I open my mouth to argue when he rushes on, "I know you love him and everything, but even you can't be oblivious to who he truly is."

"Believe me, I'm not… But he's different with me. He's not always a monster." I shake my head miserably. I wait a few moments before I say, "You know if any of you try to kill him I will fight for him."

"I know."

"I will help you get Henry back, but I will fight each and every one of you if it means keeping him alive." I seek out Neal's gaze until the two of us are making stern eye contact. "Besides, you know it's impossible to win against him. Not here in Neverland. He'll destroy you all. He told me he will. Your best bet is to take Henry and _run_."

"I know." He says again, a tormented look on his face. We say nothing for the rest of the walk and at one point Neal hangs back and talks to my father.

Finally reach the dark hollow. Emma reveals Neal's star map with a flourish, handing it to him.

"Here it is, your star map."

"It's not a star map; it's what we're going to use to trap the shadow." Neal mutters, turning the coconut over in his hands, inspecting it closely.

"A coconut?" My father asks incredulously. "Are you daft?"

"You came to Neverland on a flying pirate ship and yet you draw the line with a magic coconut?" Neal asks angrily. My father makes a face that says 'fair enough' and shrugs his shoulders.

The entrance to the dark hollow is covered with vines and leaves. "Well that's annoying." I mutter, inspecting the foliage.

"We're going to have to cut our way through." Neal replies, also looking at all the greenery.

"Here, use this." Emma says quickly and pulls the sword out from its sheath, almost cutting my father's chin in the process.

Neal seems surprised and slowly takes it from her. "Did you find this in the cave?"

"No, Hook gave it to me." Emma gestures over her shoulder at my father who looks rather uncomfortable.

"Since when were you sentimental?" Neal asks angrily and I realize that somewhere along the line he must have found out about my father's feelings for Emma. There's no way he would be acting this way otherwise.

"I thought she might like something to remember you by." My father replies easily though he still wears that uncomfortable grimace on his face.

"Thanks, but she's got me now." Neal says smoothly and then starts hacking away at the vines. I sigh heavily and look at the unfortunate love triangle. _I knew this was going to be awkward…_

I leave behind Emma and my father as I follow Neal into the dark hollow. "Guys!" I shout over my shoulder, "You might want to get in here!" Shortly after I hear Emma and my father following us in.

The deeper we go in the darker and colder it gets. I wrap my arms around myself in an effort to stay warm. A strong gust of wind blows, snuffling the light from our lanterns. "So this is where the victims of Pan's shadow reside?" My father asks curiously.

"Yup." I reply, popping the 'p'. "They're forced to spend eternity in this darkness… Some of them really deserve it too." I grin wickedly, thinking about Greg Mendell who know doubt is lurking in the dark hallow now.

"Let's be sure not to join them…" Neal mutters uneasily as he continues to lead the way.

"So, what? We just wait for Pan's shadow to show up?" Emma asks as we reach the centre of the dark hallow. I look around the small clearing and I can see other shadows lurking on the edges but I know none of them are Peter's.

"Yea, and when it does we'll be prepared." Neal says as he pulls the coconut out of his bag.

"You want to tell me how that coconut works?"

"We'll light the candle and the shadow will be drawn to it. Once it's close enough we put the lid on and trap this bad boy." Neal explains as he places the two halves of the coconut down on a fallen tree.

The rest of us crowd around it, inspecting the small object that will soon be the trap for our ride home. "Sounds like a fine plan except for one thing… Our lanterns went out." My father places his dark lantern on the same fallen tree as if to prove his point. "How the devil are we going to ignite that bloody thing?"

Neal pulls out a lighter and holds it up triumphantly. "Welcome to the twenty first century." Neal tries to get the lighter to work, but the wind offers no help as it continues to gust, ruining any progress he makes.

"How's it going over there guys?" Emma asks with her arms wrapped around herself to protect against the cold.

My father and Neal start to fight over the lighter as my father yells, "I've only got one hand and I can do better than that!" Then he takes the lighter and pushes Neal out of the way. I roll my eyes and continue to watch the ridiculous show unfolding before me.

"Now's not the time to impress Emma!" Neal growls.

"Really? You guys are doing this now?" Emma asks exasperatedly. I roll my eyes again and throw my hands up in the air from my own exasperation. I storm off and sit down on another fallen tree, stilling shaking my head at their behaviour.

The two men start fighting over the lighter and then end up throwing it and losing it behind me somewhere. "Ah, always nice to see two grown men behaving like children." I smirk and both of them shoot me dirty looks as they go to find the lighter.

"Guys, we don't have time for this!" Emma insists. She picks up the candle just as Peter's shadow appears. Emma pulls out her sword and I jump to my feet, pulling out my daggers though I know they'll be useless. "We really don't have time for this!" Emma screams as she faces off with the phantom.

Suddenly a swarm of shadows join Peter's and all they all start to attack us, some of them pull my hair and then pushes me into a tree, knocking the wind out of me. The others aren't able to hold their own much better as they basically swing their arms wildly, trying to fend the shadows off.

That's when a shadow pins my father to a tree and starts choking him. Another one does the same thing to Neal. "PAPA!" I scream and rush towards him, only to be knocked back by Peter's shadow and held down. It doesn't choke me or hurt me in anyway; it is merely trying to keep me out of the way.

I look around wildly as I hear both my father and Neal's screams of agony. Meanwhile Emma is huddled in a corner, clutching the coconut to her chest. "You two need to get out of here!" My father shouts.

"Emma, go!" Neal yells.

"Emma, _do something!_ " I scream, catching her attention. "Quit sitting there like a coward! You have magic! Use it!" I try to fight against Peter's shadow but the more I fight the tighter its grip gets.

Emma nods her head and starts to look determined as she holds her hand over the candle. A look of concentration passes over her face and then moments later fire appears, illuminating her face. She holds the candle next to me and Peter's shadow starts to get dragged into the flame. She quickly puts the lid on top of it and just like that the two other shadows let my father and Neal go. Both men fall to the ground, coughing and gasping.

I jump to my feet and help my father get to his. "Papa, are you ok?" I ask worriedly.

"I'm fine, darling." He assures me but winces as he moves his arm to wrap it around my shoulders.

"Can we get out of here please?" I ask the others who quickly nod their heads. Emma leads the way out of the dark hollow, her posture stiff and I can practically feel the anger radiating off of her.

As we leave the dark hollow and the darkness turns back into the simple darkness of night Neal hurries to catch up to Emma. "Hey, I know I screwed up…"

"Yea." Emma interrupts him, spinning around to face him. "You did. You both did! We almost lost our shot at capturing the shadow because you two were fighting over a lighter."

"It wasn't the lighter we were fighting over, love." My father grumbles. _Wow, thank you Captain Obvious, as if we didn't all know that already…_ I shoot my father a sarcastic look but he ignores it.

"Ok, let me be very clear about something… If I had to choose someone… I'd choose Henry." Both men begin to look sheepish as Emma stares them down. "He's the only love I have room for in my life." With that she walks away and I make a face before following her.

Shortly after my father and Neal also follow, though they're both wise enough not to say a word. The four of us walk in silence back to Tinkerbell's place when suddenly I hear shouting. I feel my heart drop and I spin around to stare at Neal with wide eyes.

He recognizes the shouting too and we share a nervous look. "What is that?" Emma asks, completely clueless as to what is about to transpire.

"It's the call of the lost boys on a hunt." I whisper. "Get ready." I pull my daggers out and pass Neal my sword. My father and Emma quickly pull out their own swords. "My guess is Pan knows we have his shadow and he knows Neal used it to get off the island in the first place… He's sent the lost boys to retrieve it."

"How many are there?" Emma asks me looking around nervously. I know she must be looking at the four of us and realizing that we'll be nothing against the full force of the lost boys.

"All of them." Her look says that I've confirmed her worst fears.

The shouting gets louder as the boys begin to close in. "Can we run?" Emma asks me, her eyes wide as she continues to clutch the coconut to her chest.

"No… That'll only make them hunt us down like rabid dogs… Our best chance is to fight our way out." I look around at the trees around us, my eyes narrowing as I realize that they've already surrounded us and they're even closer than I originally thought. They must have been trying to keep quiet until they got close enough so that we wouldn't be able to run.

Moments later the lost boys emerge, looking dangerous with their weapons and vicious grins. Felix, of course, is leading the party and he smirks wickedly as he scans all four of our faces. "We'll be taking that coconut now." He whispers dangerously, his voice cutting through the silence that has settled over all of us.

"Over my dead body." Emma growls and raises her sword.

Felix's grin grows. "I was hoping you would say that." With a small flick of his hand the lost boys start their screeching again as they jump at us to attack. I can see arrows whizzing past my line of vision as the archers are hidden in the trees somewhere, no doubt looking for any sort of vulnerability.

Meanwhile, the boys with swords attack us head on. I kick one in the chest and then hit him directly in the forehead with the hilt of my dagger, knocking him out. One boy comes up from behind me and wraps his arms around me and lifts me off the ground. Others come at me from the front and I use this as an opportunity to kick them in the face as hard as I can. As they fall back I throw my head back, hitting the boy in the face.

He shouts and then drops me to clutch his now bleeding nose. Again I use the hilt of my dagger to knock him out, only he's too big and it only causes him to fall back. I jump after him and then grab him by his hair and start bashing his head into the ground. When I'm sure he's knocked out I look up and become horrified when I see a lost boy aiming an arrow at Emma's exposed back.

I don't stop to think, instead I spring into action. I shout her name and jump into the path of the arrow just as the lost boy releases the arrow and Emma spins around. I hear Felix shout as well as my father and Neal.

That's when I feel the arrow pierce my back, and I can't tell if it hit my heart or not, but with the agony I feel it might as well have. I gasp and throw my head back as a warm feeling spreads through my chest. Emma's eyes widen in horror as she grabs me and I distantly realize she's the only thing holding me up. The rest of my body has lost all of its strength.

I hear a lot of shouting but I realize that none of it is from fighting. Everyone seems to have come to a standstill as I slowly slip from Emma's grasp, my weight becoming too much for her to hold. I land on the cold ground with a muffled thud as my slowing heart beat and shallow breathing become deafening. I look up to see Emma staring at her bloody hands in horror and I note that it must be my blood covering her hands.

I feel a release of pressure in my back and I look up through a hooded gaze to see my father holding the arrow in his hand. His eyes turn back to me, terror turning his blue eyes dark. I can see his lips moving and I know he's talking, but I can't hear him. I see tears are starting to fill his eyes and I want to reach out to take his hand but I can't find the strength.

Felix and Neal's faces loom just over my papa's shoulders and I smile at my two closest friends before slowly, I close my eyes.

….

" _Papa, what would you do if I died?" I ask my papa curiously, staring up at him with wide, curious eyes. I see him stiffen and his hands tighten on the wheel of the ship. He doesn't look at me as his jaw tenses and he closes his eyes._

 _I had recently heard some of the crew talking about some lady Papa brought home. They were saying she lost her child and that's why she's so sad. It got me thinking how my papa would react if I died and so far I haven't gotten much of a response._

 _Finally, he turns his head and looks down at me, a sad smile on his face. "Oh sweet girl, papa's aren't supposed to bury their children"_

" _But why?" I ask, cocking my head to the side._

" _Because children are supposed to outlive their parents." He explains kindly as he reaches down and takes me into his arms._

" _But… But does that mean I'll have to bury you?" I ask and tears come to my eyes. "I don't want to lose you, papa! Ever!" I bury my face in his neck and start to cry._

" _I can promise you that you'll have me for as long as you need me and then one day it'll be time for me to go, but you'll be ok." He rubs my back soothingly. "You're a Jones. That means you're a fighter."_

" _But what if I can't fight?" I ask quietly, my head still hidden in the crook of his neck._

" _Then that will be a very sad day…"_

…...

Slowly I manage to fight my way out of the darkness that has been holding me down. The sound of Peter's voice, loud and angry, helps me to push through the fog crowding my thoughts. "HOW FOOLISH CAN YOU BE?! WHAT PART OF 'KARINA IS NOT TO BE HARMED' CAN YOU NOT COMPREHEND?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

"I-I'm sorry, Pan! I was a-aiming for E-Emma, like y-you t-told me! S-She jumped in the way!" Another voice insists but I can't recognize it. I fight to open my eyes but I find that my body is weak and unwilling to comply.

"I told you to stop." That's Felix. His reply is quieter than Peter's and the other boy, but I can still hear it as clearly as if he were right next to my ear.

"There, you see? Felix told you to stop and _you didn't listen_. What am I to do with you now? Hm?" Peter's voice has gone deadly calm and I become nervous for the boy. I try to open my mouth so I can tell Peter to leave the boy alone, but just like before my body is unwilling to comply.

"Please don't do this…" I hear the boy sob, the sound of shuffling feet and then a loud snap, followed by a thud.

"Leave the body for now, Felix. I have something I need to do." Peter orders, his voice void of any emotion. Felix doesn't reply but there is more shuffling of feet and then complete silence. I strain my ears for any indication of sound but I find nothing.

With no sounds to anchor me I find myself slipping back into the darkness. I try to fight it as hard as I can, fearing that never-ending blackness but I'm not strong enough and go under once again.

 **A/N:** Well, I'm interested to hear everyone's thoughts on this one!

Please take a moment to review!


	23. Chapter Twenty-One

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 ***Just a heads up, this chapter shows why I rated this story M. Also, the beginning of the chapter is different from the rest; it is in third person as I wanted to show something crucial that Karina will not be present to see. Afterwards, it will switch back to Karina's POV for the rest of the chapter.***

 **~ Chapter Twenty-One ~**

The devastated pirate shuffles his feet as he walks back to the blonde fairy's home. His cheeks are wet from tears and his usually dark, disheveled hair appears even more bedraggled than usual. Behind him Emma walks, her shoulders hunched forward as she focuses her shocked expression on the ground beneath her feet. Neal walks behind the other two, much further back, his face completely void of emotion as he remembers his fallen friend.

Not one person says a word as the three companions walk quietly back to Tinkerbell's treehouse. Each of them finds it difficult to use words after what they had just witnessed: the panicked aftermath that followed Karina being shot in the back with a poisoned arrow.

Captain Hook had tried to keep his daughter away from Felix as he walked forward and grabbed her from his arms. The lost boy who shot the arrow was instantly apprehended by the others and dragged off, his screamed apologies heard long after he disappeared. Felix hadn't said a word to anyone as he picked up the lifeless form of the petite dark haired lost girl and carried her away.

Emma and Neal had also tried to fight Karina away from Felix but found themselves blocked by the endless number of lost boys. The only thing the three were left with was a dark promise from the most loyal lost boy, "Karina's death will not go unpunished."

Now as the three adults arrive at Tinkerbell's home the others can instantly tell that something is wrong. "What's wrong?" Mary Margaret asks worriedly, looking between each person's face as her expression grows more and more wary.

David grabs his wife's hand to steady both of them as they wait for the news. "Where's Karina?" He asks Hook in particular, noticing the emptiness in the pirate's blue eyes.

"She's dead." Hook replies coldly and walks past the others without another word. Both Mary Margaret and David watch him go with open mouthed shock as Tinkerbell takes a few staggering steps backwards, tears coming to her eyes.

"She can't be." Tinkerbell whispers, looking to her friend Neal for clarification. "Pan wouldn't let her be killed. He controls this entire island! And everyone on it!"

"We got ambushed on the way back from getting Pan's shadow… A lost boy tried to kill Emma, but Karina jumped in the way." Neal explains as Mary Margaret places her hands over her mouth.

Immediately, Emma's parents go to her and try to comfort their daughter who looks uncomfortable. She tries to shrug off her parents soothing hands, feeling awkward that they are trying to comfort her when Karina died saving her life. Emma looks up in search of Hook, hoping she can say something to comfort him but finds he's suddenly missing. She looks around the clearing and then slumps forward hopelessly once she's realized he has left.

Meanwhile, Hook tears through the jungle, ripping down anything that gets in his way. His tears flow down his cheeks freely as his thoughts shift between watching his daughter die and thinking about all the times he failed her. His guilt overpowers him as he falls to his knees and places his face in his one good hand. His hook digs into the earth as he drags it through the dirt.

All his anger, guilt, fear and sadness come boiling to the surface, pushing the usually arrogant pirate over the edge. He throws his head back and opens his mouth as agonized screams claw their way out of his throat. He continues to cry and scream until he finds himself too weak to keep going. Then he drops his head back down and slumps his body forward until his forehead rests against the dirt.

He stays in that position for a very long time, not noticing the tall boy as he slowly approaches him through the trees. Hook is so lost in his pain that Peter Pan is able to approach him with ease. When the boy finally places his hand on Hook's shoulder the pirate jumps to his feet and pulls out his sword, pointing it at the boy's throat.

Peter raises his hands in innocent surrender, smirking as he watches his old employee seethe with rage. "I would put down that sword if I were you. I didn't come here to fight you." Peter assures the man. "In fact, I came to offer you a gift."

"What could a demon like you possibly give me other than your head on the edge of my sword?" Hook fumes through gritted teeth. "You killed my daughter!"

"I didn't actually." Peter's face grows dark and serious as he finally has enough of the sword being pointed at his throat. He snaps his fingers and just like that the sword disappears. Hook looks around in astonishment before settling on a simpler tactic and charging the boy. Peter instantly throws up his hand and freezes the pirate in place. "I don't know why you're trying so desperately to kill me. We both know you won't be able to."

"At least I can try. Because the only way you're going to get me to stop is if you kill me!" Hook shouts furiously, his face turning red from his anger.

"Surprisingly, I don't want to kill you." Peter rolls his eyes. "I just want to give you this." With a snap of his fingers a body with a broken neck appears at Hook's feet. Instantly the pirate recognizes the boy as the one who shot the arrow that killed his daughter.

"What is this?" Hook asks, looking between the dead boy and Peter.

"I thought it was obvious." Peter replies. "It's the body of the boy who killed Karina. Believe what you want, but I didn't give him the order to kill Karina. The order was to kill Emma. He failed so he paid with his life. I thought you should have his body to know that Karina's death did not go unavenged."

Hook stays quiet for a very long time, simply staring at the body of the boy. He's sick to his stomach but he knows he has to ask the question if he's ever going to have peace of mind. "Is she really dead? The water from the spring, it could have saved her…"

Peter's face goes so dark and so cold Hook instantly knows the answer. "She's dead. The arrow was too close to her heart… The poison… It reached her heart before I was able to get her the water." Both Hook and Peter go quiet until finally Peter waves his hand and the spell wears off of Hook. The pirate takes a few staggering steps as he tries to balance himself.

Peter doesn't stop to watch his enemy gain his balance. He turns his back to Hook and starts to walk away, his hands shoved in his pockets. "Do what you want with the body, bury it, burn it, destroy it, I don't care. I got what I wanted from him."

"You love her." Hook calls to the impish boy who immediately stops in his tracks but doesn't look back. "I know you do. You wouldn't be acting this way if you didn't. Because despite your determination to appear as a powerful villain with no weaknesses, you fell for her because it was impossible not to."

Peter stays silent for a very long time as he stares off into the darkness of the forest. Finally he barely looks over his shoulder as he says, "Loved… You seem to have forgotten already, Captain… Your daughter is dead."

…

I open my eyes and gasp before instantly shielding my eyes from the light. I don't know how long I was out or where I even am as I slowly remove my hands from my eyes and look around. It doesn't take me long to recognize Peter's treehouse and I realize I'm lying in his hammock with animal furs wrapped all around me, keeping me warm.

Candles are set up everywhere, flickering and making the shadows dance in the large room. Chests full of clothes and weapons are pushed against the wall and there is a mirror leaning against an opposite wall. There is a huge bookcase filled with books, though all of them have a thick layer of dust on them, as if they haven't been touched in a very long time. Next to the bookcase are a worn green couch and a lantern hanging from the ceiling as if Peter spent many nights there reading, when I know for a fact he hasn't. The skin of a large bear sits on the floor acting as a rug but other than that the room is void of any other decorations. In fact, his treehouse hasn't seemed to have changed one bit since I was last here. That knowledge makes me smile faintly as I continue to look around, appreciating the familiarity.

I decide to get up and go in search of someone. As I push my body into a sitting positon I'm surprised to find that there isn't any pain. For a moment I wonder if I had dreamed the whole thing and hadn't really been shot by an arrow. I try to look over my shoulder and move my shirt out of the way to look for any kind of wound, but find nothing.

"You've been completely healed… Not even a scar." A voice I hadn't been expecting causes me to jump and let out a little surprised squeak. I spin around to find Peter leaning against the wall. The shadows in the room seem to conceal most of his features, but I'm able to see enough to notice his tense posture.

"What happened? Didn't I get shot in the back? I could've sworn I had died…" I shake my head in confusion. Thinking back to what happened it all seems very fuzzy and I curse myself for not being able to remember everything clearly. I mostly remember the pain and Emma's horrified expression as she stares at my blood on her hands. I also remember Peter being very angry and… Killing that boy!

I gasp and jump to my feet. I stumble and Peter steps forward to grab my arms and steady me. "Easy there…" He whispers in my ear.

"You killed that boy! Why?" I demand and punch his arms to make him let me go.

"He hurt you." He shrugs his shoulders simply, as if this is an easy answer.

"He was following your orders, Peter!" I snap. "He didn't deserve to die! I jumped in the way."

"I told them all that you weren't to be harmed and he did it anyways. Felix told him to stop and he had plenty of time to stop but he didn't. For that he deserved to die." Peter replies coldly and I shake my head, feeling sick to my stomach. "Don't act so surprised. You know that I will kill anyone who hurts you."

"Or tries to take me away?" I demand, turning on him with a twisted smile

Peter stops and studies me for a minute before he smirks, "Exactly."

"You're such a monster." I snarl and turn away from him.

Peter strikes out and grabs my arms, turning me back to face him. His hold is so tight I can feel my skin already bruising and I whimper. "Oh come now, Karina. If I'm such a monster why did I save your life?"

I feel the blood drain from my face as I realize there is one aspect to this entire situation I forgot. The lost boys poison their arrows with dreamshade… I was shot with an arrow. I'm still alive and not in any kind of pain whatsoever. "What did you do?" I whisper, horrified as Peter's face contorts into a triumphant expression. "You gave me water from the spring!"

"Of course I did." Peter scoffs. "I wasn't going to let you die."

I feel myself start to hyperventilate as my mind registers all that this will entail. "T-That wasn't your choice to make!" I shriek and slam my fists into his chest.

Actual shock passes over Peter's features for just a moment before he skillfully masks it with anger. "What? Did you want to die?"

"Yes I did!" I scream in his face. "Don't you think I understood the consequences of jumping in front of Emma when the lost boy shot that arrow? I knew it was probably going to kill me!"

"Why do you want to die?!" Peter demands, not even bothering to hide his shock now. "Are you that desperate to get away from me?"

"No! I'm just tired of everything. Of all the fighting, of us being on opposite sides, of all the lies and distrust. Not just between you and me, but between me and _everyone_! I'm tired of all of this." I shake my head sadly as I find my anger quickly evaporating. "I'm old, Peter. Almost two hundred years old. I've lived a long life."

Peter's dark green eyes go wide with shock and he slowly takes a few steps back from me. I watch him helplessly as tears start to flow down my cheeks. "You… You actually wanted to leave me forever? You know, when you disappeared the first time, and you got that bloody amulet… I was hurt that you wanted to leave me. But I knew that I would get you back eventually… But death. Not even I can get you back from death…"

"What do you expect, Peter? For so many years you've treated me like an object but I at least had the justification that you _loved_ me. But then I get here and after so many years of blindly following you and devoting every piece of me to you, I find out you never really loved me. That I'm just a joke to you! You were just using me to get what you want. Now, for even more selfish reasons, you keep me alive. I'm old and tired, Peter. You had no right to take that choice away from me."

Peter shakes his head, laughing without humor. "Is that what you think? That I don't love you? Well, let me tell you Karina… You are the most infuriating, stubborn, cunning, intelligent, beautiful and _gullible_ person I have ever met. What did you want me to say to you when you first got here? That I was so happy you're back and that I'm madly in love with you? How could I when you willingly left me for _years_ and then came back aligned against me, breaking the deal _we_ made so many years ago?" He shakes his head and goes silent, simply staring at me as I try to process his words.

In the many years I have known Peter Pan I have never heard him speak like this. He's always been a hardened villain, never speaking about his feelings or showing affection for anyone in any way. By almost dying I must have triggered something that brought on this reaction because the way he's looking at me now leaves me zero doubts. He means what he says and I realize that both of us have hurt each other in unimaginable ways over the years, of course neither of us can say the words to each other.

"So where do we go from here?" I ask helplessly, waiting for his next move.

Peter seems to contemplate it for a moment and then in two long strides he is across the room and cupping my face in his hands. "This." He says and then brings his lips down to mine. I reach up and curl my fingers into his hair. He nibbles on my bottom lip, demanding entrance, which I instantly grant him.

As his tongue explores my mouth he pushes me back until the back of my calves hit the couch. Then he pushes me down onto it before he follows, placing his body over mine. I gasp as he leaves my mouth and starts to place kisses along my jawline, down my neck and to my chest. I pull on his hair and grin when he growls before he places his hands under my shirt on my bare stomach. His hands slowly trail upwards until they stop just underneath the swell of my breasts. We share a heated look before I sit up, pushing his hands away from me so I can take off his shirt. Once his shirt is off he does the same for me and then takes off my bra.

He doesn't waste any time to start unbuckling his belt, kissing my bare breasts as he does. "Moving a little fast, aren't we?" I smile and close my eyes, losing myself in the feeling of his skin against mine.

"We've been separated from almost thirty years; I think I've waited long enough." He growls as he pulls of his pants and boots. To prove his point he grabs my leather pants and panties all in one handful and pulls them off my body. Now both of us are completely naked and I can't help but laugh at Peter's obvious excitement.

He tries to go back to kissing my breasts when I push on his chest until he's sitting back and now I'm leaning over him. I shoot him a mischievous grin as I say, "Like you said… It's been almost thirty years." I grab his member and place it at my entrance, I intend to move down slowly to tease him but Peter has other ideas as he grabs onto my hips and then forces me down onto his lap.

Our lips meet again in a heated kiss as Peter guides my hips to the right rhythm. I wrap my arms around his neck and press my chest as close to his as I can. We stay in that position for what seems like forever, enjoying one another in a way that we haven't for a very long time.

….

I lie with my entire body over Peter's and my cheek pressed against his bare chest as I listen to his steady heartbeat. I can feel his fingers trail a line down my back and every once in a while my whole body shivers from the contact. Neither of us says anything to the other; we simply lie naked in one another's arms.

Everything is silent outside of the treehouse so I know we're not in his compound. Otherwise I would be able to hear the lost boys as they shout and dance around the fire. Peter's too smart to bring me to the compound. He knows if I see Henry I'll take him and run, despite what just happened between the two of us.

Feeling warm and content I reach out and intertwine my fingers with Peter's. I feel him rest his chin on the top of my head, a moment of rare tenderness. Because of this I can't help but smile as I say, "Who knew after everything we'd end up like this. Even before I left to find my father I never thought we would get to this point."

Peter seems to wait a long time before replying. So long, in fact, I almost think he won't say anything at all. "Well, you almost died, Karina."

"So I did…" I muse as I stare at our intertwined hands. "I'll have to go see my father soon, he's probably freaking out. I can't believe you were able to get me away from him. I figured he would've torn down the jungle looking for the place you are keeping me hidden."

Peter stays quiet again, only this time his whole body tenses up for a split second. It was such a brief change in posture I probably wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't so in tune to him, but regardless I notice. I push off his chest and narrow my eyes at him as I wait for him to reply.

"Peter…" I say dangerously. "My father does know I'm alive, doesn't he?" His silence is all I need for an answer. "PETER! I have to go see him, now!" I jump to my feet and grab my clothes, dressing quickly.

Peter watches me, still stretched out on the couch, looking like a lazy cat. I'm surprised when he doesn't say anything. However, my surprise quickly turns to realization when I try to leave and find the exit is blocked by some kind of magical barrier. I grit my teeth and turn around to find Peter in the exact same position, only this time he's grinning like the freaking Cheshire cat. "Sorry sweetheart, but I can't have you going back to them. They think you're dead and I intend to keep it that way."

"Peter…" I growl and storm back to him, my boots clicking against the wooden flooring of the treehouse. "Let me out."

He seems to contemplate it and then says, "I'd rather not." He stretches and then gets to his feet, stretching some more. Slowly, he starts to dress and he pays no attention to me as I glare at him.

"You can't keep me locked up in here! I'll go crazy and then the next time you come in here I'll come at you with a couch pillow trying to smother you." I point my finger at him, intending to be threatening but all he does is laugh.

"Good luck with that." Now fully dressed he makes his way to the door with me following close behind.

"Why do you want all of them to think I'm dead?"

"Oh come now, Karina. You were a captain of a bunch of pirates, fighting in battles. Psychological warfare; I'm messing with their heads, getting their morale down so I can go in and kill them all much more swiftly." He turns to look at me, appearing delighted by his plan.

I take a deep breath and use the newfound step in our relationship to my advantage. I grab his hands and hold them to my chest, looking up into his eyes pleadingly. "Peter, _please_. Just let me tell my papa I'm alive. We've been through too much. I won't be able to live with myself if he goes on thinking I'm dead."

Peter sighs heavily and throws his head back, looking up at the ceiling. "If I let you do this, how do I know you'll come back? Hm? Once you go there, you may choose to stay with them and then once again we're on opposite sides."

"I swear on my life that I will come back to you. Just let me go talk to them. You and I both know that 'psychological warfare' isn't your style. The more fire someone has the more fun you have defeating them." He smirks and I know that I'm right.

"Now you see, the only problem I have with that is that you swore on _your_ life. You just admitted to me that you wouldn't mind dying. So swearing on your own life isn't very reassuring…" His dark green eyes inspect me closely, his usual mischievous look back.

"Fine, I swear on my father's life that I will come back." I raise my chin determinedly, meeting his gaze unflinchingly.

"There we go! That's a vow I'll believe." He smirks. "You can go see him, but only for a short time. I'll send Felix after you when it's time to come home. You try to stay any longer or fight Felix in any way and your father drops dead. Deal?" He reaches his hand out to me and I stare at it for a moment before I grab onto it and shake it firmly.

"Deal."

Peter grins and then gestures to the exit. I walk out before him and this time I'm not blocked by any kind of magical barrier. I climb down the ladder and am not surprised when I turn around and Peter is already standing there, having used his magic get down the easier way.

"See you soon." I mutter and then turn in the direction where the camp was. Hopefully they hadn't moved it. Peter doesn't say anything and when I look back I see he's already gone. I sigh and continue on my way.

 **A/N:** I had a review for the last chapter asking me why Peter didn't just pull out and crush the heart of the lost boy who shot Karina… My answer to that is I thought it would be much more emotional if Peter snapped his neck. Pulling out his heart is something we've seen every single villain do on the show for everyone they killed. The way I pictured it was that Peter was overcome with so much rage and despair that he wasn't really thinking. I hope that explains my thinking process!

Next chapter is going to be another flashback chapter. Only this one will be about Peter's past.

Please take a moment to review!


	24. Chapter Twenty-Two

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 ***Just a reminder that this chapter will be about Peter's past.***

 **~ Chapter Twenty-Two ~**

" _Malcom! Get back here now!" The young boy can hear something crash to the floor, followed by a long string of curses. "Malcom!" More crashing ensues as the boy slowly but surely backs himself further into the room. He knows the thin wooden door won't keep his father out for very long as it offers little protection against his father's pounding fists._

 _Shortly after that thought the door starts to shudder underneath the weight of the grown man. Malcom can already smell the strong scent of rum before his father even breaks down the door. It wafts through the cracks in the wood and as the door flies open, groaning under the pressure of the drunken man that smell of rum becomes suffocating._

 _Malcom quickly steps farther away from the door until his back hits the wall and there is nowhere left for him to go. His father, a large man with an unruly beard, greasy hair and dark, hateful green eyes steps into the room, those dark eyes narrowing on his eldest son. "There ya are, Malcom…" He slurs and stumbles forward, the liquid in his bottle sloshing out of the container and landing on the floor. "My rum!"_

 _Malcom stays silent as he watches his father simply stare at the rum on the floor. He tries to calm his racing heart but it doesn't seem to do him any good. He licks his lips and wonders what he could possibly say to calm his father down before he gets any angrier. "F-Father… Should I go get a cloth to clean that up?"_

" _Huh?" His father asks, peering at him from underneath bushy eyebrows. "No! No! Don't do that. It can stay there while you and I talk…" Once again, the man stumbles towards his son, his arm outstretched._

 _Malcom immediately jumps out of his father's reach, his eyes wide and his already pounding heart beginning to beat even faster. His father's eyes narrow as he tries to lunge for the boy. "F-Father, please…" Malcom cries, still trying desperately to dodge the man._

" _Damn it, Malcom! Come here!" He shouts angrily. "You broke that plate and now we have to talk about your punishment." However, the punishment the father has in mind for his son isn't a simple chore or a privilege taken away. Instead, the man plans to beat his son until the anger leaves him._

 _Malcom, knowing this, continues to try and avoid him. "Father, you'll wake my brother, please stop!" As Malcom says this he gets distracted and misses the spot of rum on the floor. His foot slips and he falls, giving his father the perfect opportunity to lunge and grab him by the front of the shirt._

" _I'll show you a lesson." He snarls in his son's face, his breath reeking of alcohol. He pulls back his fist and then swings it forward, slamming it into the side of Malcom's head. He draws back again and then repeats the same process, over and over again until Malcom's face is red and bloody. Then he drops the boy to the ground and starts kicking him repeatedly._

 _Malcom curls up into a ball and begs his father to stop, but he knows it's useless. The same thing happens every time Malcom or his brother angers their father. Malcom is always the one receiving the beatings while his brother remains untouched. Malcom hates him for that, even if it isn't his fault._

 _Once his father has had enough beating him he leaves, muttering angrily and taking swigs of his rum. Malcom simply stays where he is, curled into a ball with his eyes wide in shock. However, he doesn't cry. Malcom does not cry over the beatings anymore because they happen too often. Crying would be useless._

 _He hears a floorboard creak and doesn't need to look up to know who is there. Soft hands touch his hair, wiping away some of the blood with a cloth. Malcom closes his eyes and lets his brother tend to his more serious wounds. "Are you ok, Malcom?" The voice of his brother is quiet and unsure._

 _Malcom bites back the bitter response and simply shakes his head. "You should go back to bed, Rumple. You don't need to see this."_

" _But I want to help…" Rumplestiltskin insists, his chin wobbling slightly. He's far too young to understand that his older brother simply wants to be alone so that he can tend to his own wounds and suffer quietly._

" _Just go, Rumple." Malcom says, this time with more force. Tears fill Rumple's eyes before he shoves the cloth into his brother's hands and gets up, rushing from the room. Malcom sighs and places the cloth back to his nose as he tries to desperately contain the hatred he feels for not only his father, but his brother too._

… _._

 _Malcom's father had left shortly after that incident. He left no money, no food and no note. He simply packed his things and left his two sons behind without a second thought to their wellbeing._

 _For a time, Malcom was elated because he would never have to be beaten by his father again. But he quickly found out that although his life was about to change, it wasn't for the best. He ended up caring for Rumplestiltskin, providing him with all the essentials to survive, and sacrificing his own food and happiness to do it. Being so young Malcom had trouble finding food for both him and his brother. Most often he would steal it, but he would only be able to steal enough for one otherwise the shopkeepers would notice._

 _Many nights Malcom would go to bed hungry and angry with Rumple for having a full stomach, even though Malcom was the one who gave it to him. A part of him understood the hatred he felt for his brother was irrational, but Malcom couldn't even look in a mirror without hating himself. Every time he tried he would see his father's eyes staring back at him and would just get angry all over again. How was he supposed to love his brother if he couldn't even like himself?_

 _Years pass and then one day Malcom comes across a simple straw doll with a blue outfit in a shop. He knows Rumple will like it and with his birthday coming up he decides it will be a good gift. He steals it for his brother and brings it home to show him._

" _Rumple, I got you a gift." Malcom walks up to his brother with the doll hidden behind his back. Rumple, who had been sitting at the table, looked up at his brother expectantly. Malcom pulls the doll out from behind his back and gives his brother a tight smile, "Happy birthday!"_

 _Rumple's eyes go alight with excitement and wonder as he jumps to his feet. "I love it! I'm going to name him Peter Pan." Rumplestiltskin whispers adoringly as he runs his finger along the straw doll._

" _I'm glad you like it." Malcom mutters. "I also got you dinner." He tosses a loaf of bread and an apple to his brother, ignoring the painful stab of hunger in his stomach. Rumple greedily takes it and starts to eat his supper, playing with his new doll as he does so. "Look, I'm going to go to bed." Malcom tells his brother who barely notices as he is too enamored with his new toy._

 _Malcom shrugs and walks off to his room, closing the door behind him. He curls up on his bed and ignores the growling in his stomach as he closes his eyes and tries to fall asleep._

 _What feels like hours pass when suddenly the window to his room opens and slams against the wall with a loud thud. Malcom's eyes snap open and he turns over, his eyes widen when he sees a large shadow floating above him. He opens his mouth to shout when the shadow reaches out and covers his mouth with its hand. Then it takes him into its arms and flies out the window._

 _Malcom struggles against the hold of the shadow but once he looks down and sees how high off the ground they are he stops struggling. His heart starts to pound as he realizes that the shadow could let him go at any moment and he could plummet to his death._

 _The shadow continues to carry him higher and higher up into the sky until suddenly the world around him changes. Bright lights flash before his eyes and the sound of wind rushing past his ears become so loud it is almost unbearable. Just when Malcom thinks he is about to go deaf it all stops and he opens his eyes to see a strange island quickly approaching._

 _He looks up at the shadow but it says nothing to him as it brings them to the ground and then drops him. Malcom stumbles as he lands and rolls over onto his back, looking up at the clear blue sky in wonder. The shadow circles above him and he looks up at it with wide eyes._

" _Who are you? Where are we? Why did you bring me here?" He asks the creature nervously._

" _My name is not important…" The shadow replies, still flying in circles around him. "This place… It's called Neverland. It's a place where magic runs rampant and nobody ever grows old."_

 _Malcom looks around the island curiously. It doesn't look very magical to him, but then again, he doesn't know much about magic so how could he say it looked magical or not? He turns his attention back to the shadow. "Why did you bring me here?"_

" _I've been watching you for a while, Malcom." The shadow whispers ominously. Malcom continues to stare at it as he waits for the creature to explain itself. "I know you are unhappy and you hate your brother for everything that he is… Make a deal with me and you can become the king of this island."_

" _What kind of deal?" Malcom asks curiously, now feeling intrigued by the idea of being the king of an island, especially an island that is run by magic._

" _I'll give you immortal life and enough magic that you'll even be able to control the island if you sacrifice me children… You're not the only child who feels lost and unloved, but you are the first one that I've seen with so much hatred. Unwanted children will flock to this island in their dreams for a night of fun and your job will be to get them to want to stay so you can sacrifice them to me."_

" _What do you get out of sacrificing children?" Malcom asks though he's shocked to discover that he doesn't feel sympathy for any child that could be sacrificed; only morbid curiosity._

" _That's for me to know and for you to never find out." The shadow snarls and Malcom flinches. The shadow seems to take a moment to compose itself before it reaches out its arm out to the boy and asks, "Do we have a deal?"_

 _Malcom thinks about his little brother and the life he has with him. The more he compares his possible life in Neverland to the one he had with his brother the more he realizes that he can't go back to it after being offered something so wonderful. With a firm nod of his head Malcom grasps the hand of the shadow and shakes it, "We have a deal."_

" _Excellent... Now the first child I want you to sacrifice to me is… Your brother, Rumplestiltskin." The shadow growls and starts to circle Malcom, watching as the boy reels back from shock._

" _My brother… Why him?" Although he's shocked by the shadow's demand he finds he doesn't entirely oppose the idea. As he thinks back to everything he's sacrificed for Rumple he is suddenly filled with a familiar burning hatred that is difficult for him to control._

" _Because he's who you hate the most and also who you love the most. By sacrificing him you will officially be letting go of your old life and embracing your new one." The shadow explains though there is something in the tone of its voice that causes Malcom to wonder if the shadow is telling the whole truth._

" _Alright. I'll do it." Malcom replies. The shadow stretches out its arm again and drops something into Malcom's hand. He looks down to see he's holding a clear coloured bean. "What is this?"_

" _It's a portal, throw it down and the portal will open. Think about Neverland and it will take you there. Only use it when you have Rumplestiltskin with you. Once you have him here… I'll do the rest." The shadow doesn't seem inclined to wait for Malcom's reply because suddenly it rushes towards the boy and everything goes dark._

… _.._

 _Malcom's eyes open and he sits up in bed with a loud gasp. He looks around to find himself back in his own room. For a moment Malcom questions if that shadow was just a figment of a dream but then he looks down to see his hand in a fist. Slowly, he uncurls his fingers and there in the centre of his palm sits the magic bean._

 _He tightens his fist around the bean again and gets out of bed. He leaves his room and shuffles quietly over to Rumple's. His brother is sleeping and clutching the toy Malcom had given him for his birthday. The light of the moon shines in through the window casting a faint glow on Rumple's face, showing Malcom that his brother looks rather peaceful while he sleeps._

 _Malcom continues to stand over him as he turns the bean over and over in his hand, plotting exactly how he is going to get his brother to Neverland to sacrifice him to the shadow._

 _As if sensing Malcom's presence looming over him, Rumplestiltskin awakens and his deep brown eyes open wide. Fear shines in his eyes for a moment until he realizes it is his brother standing over them, after which they soften and he sits up in bed. "Malcom, what are you doing in here? Is everything ok?" He asks curiously, noting his brother's clenched fists._

" _Everything's fine, Rumple. Go back to bed." Malcom mutters and as he turns to leave he feels a hand on his arm. He stops and turns back to face his brother, noticing the hesitant look on his face. "What is it, Rumple? Spit it out."_

" _I wanted to thank you… For my birthday present and… For everything you've been doing for me since father left. I know it must be hard for you." Rumple mutters and casts his eyes down to stare at Malcom's feet as if he's embarrassed by his own words._

 _Malcom's eyes go wide, shocked by his brother's sudden and sincere gratitude. For a moment, Malcom frantically wonders if Rumplestiltskin knows what he's planning but then he reminds himself of how absurd that is. Rumplestiltskin is no powerful being with no magical abilities to help him foresee the impending betrayal caused by his own brother. "You're welcome." He nods his head firmly and then leaves the room as quickly as he can._

 _Malcom rushes back to his own room and throws the magic bean onto the bed and knots his fingers into his hair as he starts to pace the room back and forth. Suddenly, a decision that seemed so simple has become difficult with just a few words spoken by his younger brother. Malcom was sure that he was going to sacrifice his brother to gain a better life for himself, and now although he still desperately wants to be the king of Neverland he's unsure if he can kill his brother to do it._

 _Not once does Malcom sleep that night as he continues to pace the room and his thoughts have a war inside his head. By the time morning arrives his eyes are red and there are dark bags underneath them as well as his entire body feels sore and his head is pounding._

 _He hears a knock on his bedroom door and he's not surprised when he opens it to find Rumple standing there, looking up at him expectantly. "What's for breakfast?"_

… _.._

 _Days have passed since Malcom made the deal with the phantom and mercifully he has yet to make another appearance. However, Malcom is no fool and he knows that eventually the shadow will appear again demanding the life of Rumplestiltskin in order to complete the deal. Once he has Rumple, Malcom will become the king of Neverland and no one will ever be able to mistreat him again._

 _Rumple's gratitude the other night has made Malcom reconsider his decision several times; but now as he goes back to his life of stealing and barely eating for Rumple's sake he finds that same hatred starting to boil to the surface again. No matter how hard he tries to contain it the hatred continuously seeps back in until it practically suffocates him._

 _Even now as Malcom searches for a distracted merchant so he can steal Rumple's dinner and possibly his own, he can't help but feel that anger and disgust. A part of him wonders what Rumple would do if Malcom came home without food for him just once and he must admit as he pictures the look of disappointment on Rumple's face he gets a sort of sick satisfaction from it._

 _Malcom has become so lost in his thoughts he doesn't realize that he allowed himself to become distracted, and also sloppy at thieving. As he reaches for a loaf of bread to stuff in his bag he doesn't even notice the merchant had turned and is now watching him closely._

 _He doesn't notice until it is too late. "HEY!" The merchant yells. Malcom's eyes go wide and he's about to run for it when the man grabs his arm and pulls him back towards him. "No one steals from me and gets away with it." He snarls in Malcom's ear. He rips the bag from off his shoulder and throws it to the ground. Malcom tries to fight him but the older man easily overpowers him._

 _That's when Malcom receives the most vicious beating he has had since his father left._

 _By the time the merchant is done beating Malcom he is barely able to get up and run back home. He rushes through the door and slams it shut behind him, startling Rumple. "What happened?" The boy asks as he jumps to his feet. He notices all the blood and the torn clothes and his expression turns to a look of horror. Stupidly he asks, "Are you ok?!"_

" _No, Rumple. I'm not ok." Malcom snarls as he spits blood on the floor. It is in that instant that he has made his decision. He goes to his room with Rumple scurrying behind him and produces the magic bean from underneath his bed. "But this bean… Rumple… It'll make everything ok again."_

" _What do you mean?" Rumple asks nervously. "I don't think that's going to feed us."_

" _No, you f-," Malcom stops himself before he calls his brother a 'fool'. "No, Rumple. This is a magic bean that's going to take us to a world with so much food and fun and happiness that we never have to worry about anything again."_

" _Are you sure?" Rumple asks staring at the small, clear coloured bean skeptically._

" _Yes, I'm sure." Malcom knows the only way to truly convince his brother is to make it seem like he's going to leave without him. Rumple can't stand being left alone, not since their father left. "I'm going, whether you come with me or not." Malcom turns his back and throws the bean on the floor a few feet in front of him._

 _Just as the shadow promised a large portal opens, creating a huge blast of wind and sucking the nearby furniture into it. "Malcom!" Rumple cries, shocked._

" _Are you coming or not?" Malcom demands and stretches his hand out to his little brother. Rumple sets his jaw in determination and grabs onto his brother's hand. Malcom has to try hard to hide his triumphant smile as he tugs Rumple down into the portal with him, his thoughts focused solely on Neverland._

 _The inside of the portal is hectic as the brothers are almost ripped apart several times by strong gusts of wind. However, Malcom's determination to get what he deserves drives him to hold onto Rumple as tightly as he can._

 _When they finally break through and land on the familiar sands of Neverland Malcom can't help but start laughing. Rumple looks around in wonder and smiles when he notices the pure joy on his brother's face. "We made it!" Malcom laughs and then immediately stops when he sees the shadow slowly gliding towards them._

" _Yes you did…" It whispers ominously. Immediately Rumple goes to hide behind his brother, his eyes wide with fear as he stares at the looming phantom. "Though you are a little late."_

" _I eventually got us here didn't I?" Malcom asks with more bite to his tone than he probably should have. Except he can't help himself; he is so close to victory and getting everything that's been owed to him since the moment he was born._

" _Yes you did." The shadow repeats and although Malcom can't see anything of the shadow's face but its eyes he has a peculiar feeling that its smirking. "Now we can complete our deal."_

" _What deal? Malcom, what is he talking about?" Rumple asks worriedly. However, before Malcom can even respond the shadow has grabbed Rumple from behind his back and is starting to pull him away. "AH! MALCOM! HELP!" Rumple screams as he grabs onto his brother's wrist. The shadow continues to tug at Rumple but Malcom grabs his wrist to keep him nearby a little longer so that he can say his final words to his brother._

" _Sorry Rumple, but for me to live a better life I need to give you up. You've ruined my life and I can't let you do it any longer… Besides, we both know you'll be better off without me. Goodbye, brother." With that he forces Rumple to let go of his wrist and the shadow whisks him away, his cries echoing through the trees for miles._

 _As the shadow disappears out of sight Malcom feels something like a heavy weight sit on his shoulders._

 _He opens his palm and a fire ball appears. A wicked grin settles across the boy's face until he notices a small doll with blue clothing sitting at his feet. He leans down and picks it up only to see that it was Rumple's birthday present, the toy he decided to call Peter Pan._

 _As he inspects the doll a cloud of green mist starts to envelope his body and soon he finds himself flying towards a rock that is shaped suspiciously like a skull. Malcom has no control of his movements until his feet touch the ground inside the cave and he's faced with a large hour glass filled with glowing dust._

" _What is this place?" Malcom asks when he notices the shadow circling around him. "I don't remember this place from when I was here before."_

" _That's because it didn't exist… Not until you made the decision to stay here." The shadow explains._

" _What's the hour glass for?"_

" _This hour glass is the magic that is allowing you to stay here and to stay young." The shadow tells Malcom, its tone full of evil intent._

" _What happens when it runs out?" Suddenly Malcom feels nervous and he wonders if he made the right choice after all._

" _Your youth will run out… And you will die." The shadow seems to gain great satisfaction from telling Malcom what is to come in his future._

" _I thought I was supposed to stay young forever!" Malcom exclaims angrily._

" _Neverland is a place where children visit in their dreams. No one was ever meant to stay here permanently. By living here you are breaking the rules."_

" _Any rule can be broken. Especially here!" Malcom rolls his eyes. "I made this place without even thinking about it. There has to be way."_

" _Perhaps…"_

 _Malcom can tell by the tone of the shadow's voice that there is indeed some way to stay young forever and the shadow simply refuses to tell. "Then I will find that way… I believe." As he continues to inspect the hour glass he is struck with a new thought. Slowly, a smirk stretches across his features and he turns around to look at the shadow, "If I can create caves without even thinking I'm sure I can do amazing things when I actually think about them."_

" _Of course you can. That is the magic of Neverland." The shadow stretches out its arms in a grand gesture._

" _Then you are now my shadow and you will do what I say. Not the other way around." Malcom grins wickedly and the shadow reels back in shock and anger. "After all, I am the king of Neverland and a king doesn't bow down for anyone."_

" _You can't do that!" The shadow bellows._

" _Actually I can. It's like you just said, it's the magic of Neverland. I think of something and it becomes a reality. I just thought of you as my shadow under my control and now you have to do as I say." Malcom grins wickedly as the shadow veers forward like it's going to hit him but then it can't, it's as if some unforeseen force stopped it. "Glad to see it worked, then."_

" _I'll kill you for this." The shadow growls as it circles over Malcom's head dangerously._

" _Maybe… But not any time soon." Malcom chuckles darkly. "Now, first thing I want you to do is let my brother go. I don't care where you leave him, but you won't be sacrificing him."_

 _The shadow releases a low growl but eventually does a mock bow. "As you wish, Malcom." It turns to leave._

" _And my name isn't Malcom. Not anymore… Now, my name is Peter. Peter Pan."_

 **A/N:** Ok, this chapter ended up being a lot longer than I was expecting it to be! Originally I thought this chapter would be maybe five or six pages long. Ended up being ten. I also apologize for this chapter being late… Although this chapter ended up being ten pages long it was really hard to get it going. I suffered a bit of writer's block in the past week.

As you can see, I changed quite a bit of Peter's past. I hope you all like the changes I made. I guess I could've kept Peter as Rumple's dad and it all would've worked out the same, but I hated that in the show so I changed it. I'm also interested to hear what you guys think about Peter taking control of the shadow… That will have relevance to the story later on, I promise. I didn't just do it just because I could.

Please take a moment to review!


	25. Chapter Twenty-Three

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Twenty-Three ~**

I hurry through the jungle of Neverland, desperate to get to my father so I can tell him that I'm alive. I can only imagine the despair he must be feeling. If our roles were reversed I don't know how I'd be able to go on if I thought I watched him die. We had just found one another after so many years; it's too soon to lose one another again.

I make it to their campsite to see that it's been all but abandoned. I curse under my breath and run my fingers through my hair as I look around the clearing. A part of me wonders if I should've asked Peter where they were before leaving but I have a feeling he wouldn't have told me anyways.

Suddenly, I hear shouting in the distance. I cock my head to the side and listen when I recognize the voices of the heroes I've grown to know so well. They must have just left and clearly didn't get far before getting into a fight.

I hurry in the direction of their voices and as I get closer I'm surprised to hear Gold and Regina's voices as well. I knew Gold was on the island but from my understanding he chose to go against Peter alone, thinking that the heroes would only hold him back. But now it seems he's decided to join them again.

Just as I'm about to approach the group I realize what they're saying. Apparently I'm not the only one Emma and the others are accusing of trying to kill Henry. Now it seems that Gold is in the same boat I was in days earlier only he's being treated with a lot more dignity than I was when the others found out… Although that could have more to do with Gold being super powerful.

As everyone draws their weapons to point them at their newfound enemy Emma says, "It's not going to happen. Not unless you go through all of us first."

"You're making a mistake. I don't care if the boy is destined to be my undoing. I won't hurt him." Rumplestiltskin insists as he stares mostly between Emma and his son.

"Because that sounds just like you." Regina replies sarcastically as Emma rolls her eyes.

"Without me you will fail!" He tries again, this time his anger appears to be growing. "I'm the most powerful amongst us."

"That's why we can't trust you." Neal mutters.

"If I could give you my dagger, I would. But I can't."

"But you can give me Pandora's Box… I don't have to trust you if I can stop you." Neal points at the small funny looking box in his father's hands. I raise an eyebrow as I inspect it from my hiding place in the bushes. Clearly they plan to use that against Peter; nothing else is powerful enough to hold him. I know that if they do manage to trap Peter inside they won't let him out at any point in any of their lifetimes.

Slowly, Gold hands his son the box and Neal threatens him with an eternity trapped inside of it if he betrays them in anyway. As the others slowly put down their weapons I decide that now is the time to make my presence known.

"Wow, I see you guys are still up to your same old accusations and threats." My voice rings out through the clearing, loud and sarcastic. The others immediately turn to face me, their weapons drawn again until they see that it's me.

"This can't be…" Mary Margaret is the first to respond as she drops her bow and stares at me with large, brown eyes. "You were…"

"Dead? Yea, not really." I look over at my father who is staring at me like he's currently looking at my ghost. Though I suppose if Peter had told me my father was dead and he showed up randomly I would have the same reaction. Before I can help myself tears fill my eyes. "Hi Papa…"

My father drops his sword to the ground and in just a few long strides he has crossed the distance between us and is standing right in front of me. Slowly he places his only good hand on my cheek as if he's trying to prove to himself that I really am alive and well. "Karina…" He whispers, his voice thick with emotion. "My little girl… You're alive."

"Yea, I am." I give him a watery grin and it's as if that's all he needs to prove it to himself that I'm not dead. He pulls me into a hug and wraps his arms around me as I bury my face into his shoulder. I wrap my own arms around his middle and hug him as tightly as I can, glad to be breathing in the familiar scent of rum and leather.

We stay in that same position for what seems like an eternity but no one dares to pull us apart or say anything. Everyone allows us to have the reunion we so desperately needed.

Eventually he pulls back and cups my chin in his hand as he stares at my face. "Pan told me you were dead…"

"He wanted you to believe that because I guess in a way, I was dead… But he saved me." I try not to look into his deep ocean coloured eyes, so much like my own, because I know he'll see the truth that lies within them.

Sure enough, I see realization dawn on his face. "He used magic from the spring to save your life."

"And now I'm stuck here for eternity." I finish for him. Again my father pulls me into a hug, only this time he holds me like a dying man would hold his loved one for the last time. "But at least I'm alive." I try to comfort him but all he does is shudder and his grip on me gets impossibly tighter.

When he pulls back I see tears in his eyes and I reach up and wipe the few from his cheeks that managed to escape. "I'm so glad you're alive." He whispers and grabs the hand I used to wipe away his tears. "You can't imagine the self-loathing and the torment I have put myself through since hearing that you died. I've failed you as a father."

"No, you haven't. You were the best you could be in an impossible situation." I try to smile reassuringly as I squeeze his hand.

"I love you, Karina."

"I love you too, papa." The two of us smile at one another before we remember that we're not alone and we turn to the others.

"Why would Pan tell Hook that you're dead if he really saved your life?" David asks curiously. He seems to be the first to recover from his shock of seeing me alive and watching mine and my father's reunion.

"Because he didn't really have any intentions of letting me come back and tell you all that I'm alive. He wanted to keep my survival a secret, but I managed to convince him otherwise… As it is, I don't have much time. Felix will be coming for me soon and if I don't go back… There will be some serious consequences." I shake my head sadly.

"Well let's go back to our camp and talk about all of this there. We can catch you up on what you missed and you can explain what happened to you some more." Mary Margaret offers and the others seem to agree, though Gold is looking a bit more reluctant than the others.

Just as I turn to follow Mary Margaret and the others to camp Tinkerbell rushes forward and envelopes me in a hug. Her sudden burst of emotion stops everyone in their tracks and propels Neal forward to hug me as well. "I am so glad you aren't dead." Neal whispers in my ear and I laugh.

"You know, I'm kind of happy about that myself." I poke him in his side and he laughs. Even when Neal lets go Tinkerbell continues to hug me and I have to pat her back a few times before she gets the hint.

"Sorry… I lost my cool for a second." Tinkerbell mutters sheepishly, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

"It's ok. I would've done the same thing if I thought you had died." I pat her on the shoulder and she smiles before she follows the others back to camp. My father wraps his arm around my shoulders and we follow the others too.

As we all walk back to camp Emma walks up to my other side. My father, sensing that Emma has something to say, hangs back until we're a few feet in front of him. "Karina… I wanted to thank you… For saving my life." Emma mumbles, her eyes dart between my face and our feet several times.

"You're welcome." I reply politely. "But I didn't really do it for you… I mostly did it for Henry and my dad. Henry can't lose the mother he just found and my dad has feelings for you that he hasn't had since he met Milah. If you had died, two people I care about very much would have been in a lot of pain."

"Yea, I know… And for what's worth, I'm sorry I accused you of wanting to hurt Henry. Maybe you did in the past, but that's not who you are now. I should've recognized that, but I didn't… I just can't lose Henry and I was blinded by my maternal instincts to keep him safe. For that, I'm sorry." This time she looks me straight in the eyes as she apologizes, her lips set in a firm line as though she won't take anything but my acceptance of her apology as an answer.

"All is forgiven, Emma." I smile and nudge her arm. She smiles back gratefully and then hurries forward to walk next to her parents. Shortly after she leaves my side, my father and Neal take her place.

"I'm not going to be able to walk on my own and enjoy peace and quiet for a long time now, am I?" I tease them and Neal actually looks slightly sheepish as he laughs awkwardly. Meanwhile my dad is his usual devil-may-care self as he grins and shakes his head. "I thought so."

We reach the camp and everyone starts to take a seat on the rocks and the fallen tree logs littered around the camp. David gets to work on starting a fire and I sit down on one of the bigger rocks so that my father can sit next to me.

Once everyone settles Mary Margaret is the first person to say, "I think we all owe Karina an apology for the way we treated her before she got hit with that arrow…" She looks around at everyone expectantly.

"You know, it's really not necessary." I mutter, my cheeks heating up under all the intense gazes I'm currently receiving.

"No, it is necessary. Because each of us were awful to you in our own way, I mean, we tied you to a tree! We should've known that you were on our side all along and that you would never hurt Henry." Mary Margaret shakes her head as her husband nods his head along with everything she says. "When we heard you died… The guilt we all felt…"

"I'm sorry, Karina." David tells me once his wife trails off. "And for what it's worth, I want to thank you for saving my daughter's life." I nod my head respectfully in his direction.

"I'm… Sorry too." Regina replies though it seems like she has a bit more difficulty saying it than the others. I smile at her, appreciating the effort and then turn to look at Emma to nod my head and let her know that she doesn't need to apologize again.

"Well I always knew that you weren't trying to kill him. So I guess I'm just the best one here." Neal jokes, trying to lighten the darker mood that has set over everyone.

"As am I!" My father raises his flask of rum in the air and winks at me before he takes a swig of it. I roll my eyes and smile at the two of them, glad that I was able to see these two again.

A heavy silence has fallen over the group and I decide that I'll have to be the one to break it. So far Gold has remained quiet since giving Neal Pandora's Box, though his eyes have been following each person who has spoken, taking in everything that's been said. "So, Pandora's Box… That's how you guys are going to trap Pan?"

"Do you think it will work?" David asks me.

"Oh, it'll work. Nothing can get out of that thing once they're trapped inside unless someone releases them." I chew nervously on my bottom lip before I continue. "So what is your plan?"

"Well shortly after you were taken away by the lost boys we reunited with Gold and Regina…" Mary Margaret explains.

"Oh yea, I heard you guys are accusing Gold of trying to kill Henry now." I nod my head at the man in question, who looks away clearly irritated.

"But this time it's different." Emma interjects quickly, her eyes wide. "Gold actually admitted to Neal that there was a prophecy that says Henry will be his undoing."

"I did also say that I was going to save him." Gold mutters but no one seems to care.

"Hm…" Is all I say as I try to hide my grin.

"What?" Emma asks suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing!" I reply quickly. They were doing the exact same thing to Gold that they did to me. It's ironic that they seem so remorseful for the way they treated me and yet now that they are faced with the same situation, only with someone more powerful, they're treating him that exact same way. "Anyways! Back to your plan… Mary Margaret, continue."

"Right, we were planning to storm Pan's camp. Tinkerbell here was going to lead us in and then we were going to trap Pan in the box and grab Henry. Then the others don't have to worry about getting off the island as quickly as possible." Mary Margaret looks sad as she talks about the others fleeing the island. David grabs her hand and rubs his thumb across it reassuringly, though I can tell his attempts at comfort achieve little.

"Oh, so the three of us are going to live a nice happy life on the island together." I smirk and Mary Margaret smiles back at me, but my joke has about the same impact on her as David's hand holding.

"There has to be a way for David and Karina to leave the island." Emma looks to my father. "You told me about your brother, how he died… I know it can't be easy to talk about, but…"

"Then let's not, shall we?" My father asks and tries to cover up the chill in his tone with a half-hearted smile. "The water that cured David and Karina is connected to the island. If they leave the connection will be broken and the poison will kill them."

"What if we take some of the water with us? Then they can stay connected and stay alive in Storybrooke." Emma suggests. I don't bother mentioning to her that I won't be leaving regardless. Surely if I were to even try Peter would eventually break free from Pandora's Box, somehow, some way and he would come after me.

"But for how long?" My father argues. "Once the water runs out the dreamshade will take their lives… I'm not about to watch my daughter die the same way I watched my brother. I've already seen her on the brink of death and thought that she died… I don't want to suffer through the real thing." As if to reassure himself that I'm still alive and sitting next to him, he reaches out and wraps his arm around my shoulders. I lean into his chest and pat him on the leg, showing him that I really am real.

"Unless there was another cure." Gold adds as a mischievous grin slowly creeps onto his face. Everyone goes silent and turns to look at him, waiting for what he's about to say next. "Oh, are you suddenly interested in what I have to say? I thought I wasn't to be trusted?"

"You're not." Emma growls. "But I'll take my chances."

"Well, if you remember I too was poisoned with dreamshade by a cowardly pirate. And yet…"

"Yes, we know how you cured yourself. But that candle takes another life and David is not that selfish." Emma replies and I grin when I notice she doesn't bother mentioning me.

"How noble." Gold smirks and the two of us make eye contact, both having caught Emma's exclusion of my name. "The point is I discovered much about the poison. I believe I could create an elixir back in my shop."

"What's your price?" Emma demands, her eyes narrowing.

"Well this is quite the favour. I'd expect one of equal weight in return."

"No, when we get back to Storybrooke you're going to save David and Karina because it's the right thing to do. No deals, no favours. Understand?" Neal stares at his father pointedly and everyone else seems surprised by Neal's demands.

Gold himself looks taken aback by his son for a moment, but then his usual self comes back to the surface and he smirks. "Fine. I'll do as you ask."

With that small victory David and Mary Margaret embrace happily and I feel my father squeeze my shoulder, a grin full of excitement on his face. I smile back at him, though the smile feels tight to me and no matter how much I try to make it seem more relaxed, I can't manage it.

"Karina, do you know when Felix is coming to take you back to Pan? We could use you on the inside when we storm the camp." David asks me once all the excitement dies down.

"No idea." I drop my hands in my lap. "Pan just said Felix will be here to get me when it's time to come back and that I'm not allowed to fight him."

"Well, we can wait until you do go back and then just know that we'll be storming the camp a short time later. You'll have to be ready. It would be good if you could try and distract Pan." David says and the others nod their heads.

I'm about to nod my head when suddenly a new idea occurs to me. "I think I have a better idea…" I trail off. "The sole reason Pan wants Henry is because he needs his heart."

"Wait, what?" Emma shouts and I realize that I haven't told them this yet. Oops.

"Oh, sorry, I thought I told you already. Though to be fair, you guys did tie me to a tree the minute you found out about my past and didn't give me a chance to explain myself… So I didn't really have the time to tell you…" As I say this the others start to look slightly embarrassed.

"Ok, well you can tell us now… Why does he want Henry's heart?" Regina asks her dark eyes impossibly darker as she stares intensely at me.

"I don't know the whole story, but a long time ago when Pan first came to the island he made some kind of deal that gave him magic and eternal life. But as Gold says, all magic comes with a price… His price was that one day his so-called "immortality" would be taken from him and he would die. He needs the heart of the truest believer to gain back that immortality… Henry has that heart." Looks of horror start to appear on everyone's faces as I explain Peter's plan.

"How can you just take someone's heart as your own?" Emma asks nervously.

"Well… It's a trade. Once Pan takes Henry's heart… Henry will die and Pan will live. Only then he will be truly immortal and all-powerful. Nothing will be able to stop him."

"Ok, so then what's your plan?" Regina asks skeptically. "If Pan is going to become this all-powerful being, how do you plan to stop him? You don't even have magic."

"I don't need magic." I tell her, my anger sparking. "I've been poisoned by dreamshade and I've taken the water from the spring. I'm connected to the island and as long as I stay here, I'll be immortal. Time stands still in Neverland… So does my aging. I'll offer him a deal. He can bind his life to mine and we'll stay here in Neverland forever. He'll give Henry back and let you guys go on your merry little way, and we'll stay here. We won't cross into your realm and you won't cross into ours."

"No!" My father shouts, clearly horrified by my plan. "I won't let you stay here forever, bound to that monster."

"Papa…" I'm about to start reasoning with him when Gold interrupts.

"What's to stop any of us from killing you to kill Pan once the two of you are bound? Then we'll know that Henry will really be safe if Pan is dead." I can understand the logic of his question and I'm not surprised to see Regina agreeing with him.

"Because the only thing stopping him from being all-powerful is his pesky little immortality situation. As his immortality dwindles, his strength and magic weaken as well. A lot of his magic is going towards just keeping him alive right now. Once he's immortal again he won't need to focus on any of that. He'll be powerful again, certainly stronger than you." I can't help but add on that last bit as I cross my arms and shoot him a look that dares him to contradict my words.

"But just because he's powerful doesn't mean you will be." Gold replies, an eyebrow raised. Neal tries to say something, to argue with his father, but Gold merely raises his hand to silence his son.

I lean forward and focus my attention solely on Gold. "You're right… I won't be powerful like him. But if Pan accepts this deal do you really think he's going to let me out of his sight? And if you tried to come for me to kill me, he would rip you to shreds. We both know you can't beat him. Not here in Neverland… And we both know _exactly_ why you can't. Peter Pan never fails…" Gold's arrogant smirk wavers for just a moment when he realizes what I'm saying. Peter had told me a long time ago about his past. I didn't put two and two together until I actually met Gold myself. Now I'm betting Gold knows that I know he and Peter are brothers.

Like I knew they would, my words shut Gold up and the others exchange curious looks as they try to piece together what I said.

"Karina, do you think your plan will work?" Emma asks me curiously.

"I think it's worth a shot. Don't storm the camp just yet… I'm going to go back and talk to Pan, see if he'll take the deal. When I get an answer I'll come back here to let you guys know. But don't do anything stupid until then… Who knows, if you guys manage to piss him off he may not take the deal just to spite you." I tell them and look around at each of them, especially Gold and Regina, to make sure my point has gotten across.

"Ok… We'll try things your way. But if it doesn't work, we're following through with our plan." Emma agrees and it seems that the others do too.

Well, everyone except Regina. "You can't actually be considering this! We're just going to let that evil little imp live? No way!"

"If it avoids a war we're going to try it!" Emma argues. "If we have to, I'll go to war to get Henry back. But Karina is offering us a solution that could fix all our problems and avoid any of us getting hurt. We owe it to her to try."

I realize then that the main reason Emma is letting me try my plan is because of my feelings for Peter. While she may not like them, she understands them and she's prepared to let me try my way if it means I can get my own happy ending. I catch Emma's gaze and smile at her, silently thanking her. She nods her head and delivers a slight smile back in my direction.

"Fine, but if this doesn't work, we are storming that camp!" Regina growls and Emma nods her head.

Just then we hear a rustling in the bush. Everyone, except for me, jumps to their feet with their weapons ready. Shortly after Felix emerges from the shadows, his ever present club resting on his shoulder and his dark hood covers most of his face.

I sigh and look at him, "Time to go already?" He simply nods his head and doesn't say a word though his eyes watch the others carefully; looking for any hint that someone will attack.

"No, you're not going back with them." My father snarls, raising his sword up higher as he points it at Felix.

"Papa…" I warn. My deal with Peter comes rushing back and I immediately step around my father, not wanting Peter to think that I'm resisting in any way. "I have to go… But I promise I'll be back. They won't hurt me… I lived here for over a hundred years and I'm clearly still alive with all my ten fingers and ten toes…"

"I thought you lost your big toe in that game of hide and seek?" Felix asks, smirking when my father shouts in surprise.

"FELIX!" I shout angrily. "That wasn't funny." I turn back to my father. "He was kidding. Felix has a stupid sense of humour. There was no game of hide and seek where I lost my big toe… Or any toe for that matter. Relax. I'll see you soon." I hug him and then nod at the others before I follow Felix out of the camp.

As we get further away from the camp Felix starts to laugh, his entire body shaking. "Oh come on, you have to admit that his reaction was priceless."

I turn and glare at my long-time friend. "While it may have been funny at any other point, it was not funny when I was trying to convince him to let me go."

"But it was a little bit funny?" Felix makes a small gap between his index finger and thumb and grins at me.

"No!"

"Just a teeny bit?"

"Felix, I said no! God, you're annoying."

 **A/N:** Haha, I couldn't help but add a little bit of Felix/Karina bonding at the end. I love their friendship. Next chapter will have more Felix/Karina bonding as well as Peter/Karina.

THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: As I'm sure many of you have already guessed this story is coming to an end. Originally, when I started this story I wasn't planning on doing any type of sequel. But as I've been writing I've come to fall in love with Karina and the world I've built around her. That being said, I'm still not convinced I should do a sequel. While I have some very devoted readers (which I thank each and every one of you for), I'm still not convinced. I have some ideas and I have created a poll on my profile for you to go vote. Here are your options:

1\. A sequel that will continue on with the show and will follow the ending I have planned for this story.

2\. A prequel that will be all about Karina's time in Neverland. How she met Peter, how they fell in love, her bonding with the lost boys, and her eventually leaving and becoming a pirate.

3\. No prequel, no sequel, no nothing. This story will be the one and only book.

However, whether or not I do another book will also be determined on how many people vote. Even if the sequel or the prequel wins, if not enough people voted I may choose not to do it regardless. I want to make sure that there's enough interest in this story and a possible continuation before I get involved in another book. So please go vote if you want another book, or vote that you don't want another book. That will be cool too; it won't hurt my feelings if you decide you don't want another book.

With all of that being said (and I apologize for how long it was), please take a moment to review!


	26. Chapter Twenty-Four

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Twenty-Four ~**

Just as I expected Felix doesn't take me back to Peter's camp to stay with the rest of the lost boys, but instead he takes me to the treehouse that I woke up in. Also, just as I expected, Peter is nowhere to be seen and Felix tries to leave as soon as he drops me off.

"Hey, hey, hey!" I call once Felix starts walking away. "Where are you going?"

"Away from you." Felix smirks and I narrow my eyes. "Why? Do you need something?"

"Entertainment, Felix. That's what I need. There's no way I'm going to let Peter lock me away in this treehouse with nothing to do. Let's go have some fun!" I throw my arms in the air and grin. For the first time since arriving on this island I'm starting to feel like the old me again… Not the villainous part, of course. But the part of me that was able to have fun all the time and not worry about anything else.

"Peter wanted you back here." Felix tells me seriously, his expression stern. I make a face back at him in an attempt to match his expression but I'm really just trying to get him to see how ridiculous he's being.

"No, he just wanted me away from the heroes, which I am. He's going to know I'm with you. He knows everything and when he's ready he'll come find us." I raise an eyebrow and dare him to tell me otherwise. "Come on, Felix! I know you missed me, let's go have some fun."

"I did not miss you." Felix huffs but I can tell he's just putting up a tough front. Throughout our time together here in Neverland we were the only ones who truly understood each other. While I had close ties with Peter, Neal and the other lost boys, Felix was really only close to Peter and me. "What do you want to do?"

"Let's go swimming." I flash him my best crazed grin and hop back and forth on my feet. "I haven't been in forever. I want to jump off the rocks." There is only one place on this entire island where someone can go swimming without the fear of the mermaids. It's a large cove surrounded by tall, looming rocks and the only reason the mermaids don't go in there is because Peter's declared it off-limits to them. It was another one of his presents to me. He knew I like swimming and wanted me to have a safe place to do it. Any mermaid that dared to question his rule would find themselves incinerated rather quickly. They may be stupid fish but they're not stupid enough to go someplace that some of their own have died.

"You realize that if Pan gets mad at us for leaving this treehouse I'm blaming you, right?" Felix asks as he already starts to walk in the direction of the cove.

I scurry along after him, my smile getting impossible larger. "So does this mean we're going swimming?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Felix sighs, that same stern expression souring his face. I cheer and he sighs again and looks away only this time I can see a hint of a smile gracing his lips.

"Wonderful. I've been needing something fun for a while now." Something in my tone must have caught his attention because suddenly he's turned all of his attention on me.

"What was your life like? In Storybrooke?" He says 'Storybrooke' with so much disdain that I can't help but laugh. "When you first got here you had this sad look in your eyes… Now you talk like you've never had fun."

"I had fun in that world… It may not have been as wild and crazy as my life here, but it was still fun. I have friends there that made it fun…" I trail off, unsure of what to say next.

"But…" Felix probes.

" _But_ it still got kind of lonely. When Regina cast the curse she had the opportunity to give people families and people who cared about them… But for me, she left me alone. I don't know why. I never bothered to ask. So at the end of the day, even though I had those friends I never had anyone to really care for me." When I look up Felix is giving me a knowing look and I rush ahead before he gets the wrong idea. "Don't get me wrong, the Charming's and Emma were great. Henry was awesome, too… But, you saw the way they turned on me the second they thought I did something they didn't like. How does someone just get over that? Even after they apologized?"

"You can't." Felix, being his usual self, tells me exactly how it is. It's one of the big reasons as to why we became friends. He would never sugar-coat things for me.

"I want to be able to forgive them… I mean, I told them that I forgive them… But there's this constant anger that I feel inside of me, Felix. And it just gets stronger everyday." I shake my head bitterly as the two of us arrive at the cove. "I thought I learned to control that a long time ago, back when I was a pirate. But lately it seems that I'm losing that control again."

"All the more reason for you to come back to us. We don't judge you for that, we never have and we never will. Not only that, but you won't have to feel anger with us because it will always be fun." Felix nods his head towards the water and grins at me.

My answer is to start stripping out of my clothes to my underwear, an excited gleam in my eyes. "Meet you at the bottom!" I giggle and then race towards the water, not even bothering to look back to see if Felix is joining me.

My bare feet slap against the rocks and my dark hair whips past my face as I reach the edge of the cliff and propel myself off of it. My excited scream ricochets off the cove's walls followed by the loud splash as my body becomes submerged underwater. I let myself sink closer and closer to the bottom as another splash parts the water above my head and Felix starts to sink with me.

Only when my lungs start to starve for oxygen do I finally force myself to the surface. I suck in a deep breath of air and throw my head back, laughing in pure joy. Felix resurfaces just a few feet from me, his already unruly blonde hair even more so now that it's wet.

"Thank you." I say to him and when he responds with a confused look I clarify, "Thank you for letting me go swimming and actually swimming with me. I needed something like this."

"You're welcome. That's what family is for, right?" We grin at one another until a thought occurs to me that causes me to frown. "Oh no, I know that look. What's wrong?"

"I was just thinking… You asked me what Storybrooke was like and what my life was like when I was living there. But you've never told me what your life has been like since I left." I cock my head to the side as I study the scar on his face.

"It's been… Hard. It was like as soon as you left Peter got angry. And then when you got the amulet to hide yourself from him and broke your deal he got even angrier… Now that I've heard you talk about your anger it makes me think about his. When you're together neither of you seem very angry. It's like you two balance each other out…"

"Oh that would be great… Both of us incredibly evil people balancing each other out to make one single, evil unit." I mutter sarcastically.

Felix shoots me a dry look. "You know what I mean… Life here is just better when you two are together. You say you're evil but honestly, I think you have just enough light to balance Peter's completely black heart. I knew him before he met you and trust me, he was pure evil… Now it's like he thinks before he does something."

"How philosophical of you to notice." I smirk and Felix rolls his eyes.

"Ok, our girl moment is done." With that being said Felix splashes water in my face.

"Oh, it's on!" I splash him back and soon the two of us are chasing each other around the cove trying to splash water in the other one's face.

The two of us goof around for what seems like hours when suddenly I notice Peter standing on top of the cliff, staring down at us. When he sees that I noticed him he starts to walk down from the cliff towards the edge where the rocks meet the water. As I swim up to him he reaches out his hand and pulls me out of the water. Immediately he's wrapping a towel around my shoulders and I know it's not because he's worried about me getting cold, it's because I'm in my underwear and Felix is around.

"Always jealous." I tease and Peter rolls his eyes but he says nothing. He grips my chin in between his fingers and pulls me in for a kiss. As we're kissing I hear the sound of splashing water and from the corner of my eyes Felix walks past us, not saying a word.

Peter and I pull away and Peter's eyes follow Felix, his green eyes darker than I thought possible. Felix quickly dresses, nods his head at Peter and I and then picks up his club off the ground before leaving. Peter looks like he's about to follow him when I grab his arm.

"Hey… No." As he turns back to face me I reach up on my tip toes and peck his lips gently. "Come on, let's talk." I lead him back up the cliff that I had previously jumped off of and the two of us sit down across from each other.

"So I assume you had a very tearful reunion with dear old dad?" Peter asks me, smirking. For a moment I wonder if he had been watching the whole thing but then I notice the hidden curiosity in his gaze and I know that he's being genuine when he asks.

"Actually, yea. It was." I look down at our intertwined hands and bite my lip. "I told him about how you cured me with water from the spring. He wasn't too happy, but he understood what it means."

I feel Peter's hand touch my cheek and I look up to meet his gaze. "It's for the best. You know that we can't live without each other."

"I know." I smile sadly as Felix's words come to mind. "It's just going to be hard saying goodbye to him when I just found him."

"If you like… I can make sure he doesn't suffer the same fate as the others. I can send him back to Storybrooke, or the Enchanted Forest or wherever you ask me to. I will let him live." My eyes widen in shock at Peter's proposal. For him to offer something so selfless is unlike him.

"You would do that for me?" I ask as my eyes well up with tears.

"Well there's no need to get all emotional about it…" Peter mutters, looking away. Before either of us can process my next move I throw my arms around his neck and hug him tightly.

"Thank you." I whisper in his ear. I can feel his arms wrap around my torso and then suddenly he's pulling me onto his lap so I'm sitting on it. "Hey now! I'm still in my underwear."

"All the more reason." Peter replies innocently. I try to get out of his grip but his iron tight arms won't budge. With a huff I settle into his arms and place my head against his chest. My legs dangle over the side of the cliff and yet I've never felt more comfortable.

The two of us remain silent for what seems like an eternity and I can't remember the last time the two of us were so at peace with one another. We've done nothing but argue and threaten one another for so many years. We haven't been able to sit together like this since before I left.

Which is why I'm about to hate myself for ruining it.

I pull away from Peter with a sigh and look up at him. Knowing me all too well he sighs too and narrows his eyes. "What?"

"I have to talk to you about something." I bite my lip and this time when I try to move out of his lap he lets me.

"I figured you would after you met with the heroes. I'm sure all of you concocted some heroic plan to bring about my downfall and you're about to enact the first phase." The bitterness in his tone gives me pause.

"Would you really be that surprised if I created a plan with them to bring about your downfall?" I ask, staring at him intently.

"No, of course not! It's not like I just declared my feelings for you or anything. But go ahead! Continue with your plan to kill me or trap me or whatever it was." Peter waves his hand and stares over my head, a grimace on his face.

"Peter, look at me." When he doesn't I decide to get more forceful. "Peter, I said, _look at me_!" When he finally does I reach forward and grab his face in my two hands. "I love you. Maybe I shouldn't and maybe the love I have for you will get me killed one day… But it's true. I love you with every ounce of my being. And because of that, I would never help them plan to kill or hurt you in any way possible. Do you hear me?"

Like a petulant child he says, "Yes, I hear you."

"Good." I sit back down and the two of us stare at one another. "To prove that I'm really on your side… I'm going to tell you something I shouldn't." Suddenly I've become sick to my stomach as my resolve thickens. Emma and the others had accused me of really working for Peter and being on his side. I just proved my loyalty to them and now they trust me again… And yet, here I am, about to ruin that loyalty with a few words.

"Karina, what it is?" Peter asks me, his eyes narrowing again as he realizes that I really do know something that could be very important to him.

What I'm about to tell Peter… It has the potential to change everything. If my plan doesn't work and Peter doesn't take the deal that I'm about to put before him, Emma and the others will go through with their plan to trap him in Pandora's Box. I can't let that happen. If Peter knows about it he can stop it and hopefully I can keep him from killing everyone when they try to use it on him. I already told Neal that I will choose Peter over everyone else and I plan to follow through with that.

"There's something that you should know." I look down at my clenched hands as I try to work up the courage to say what needs to be said. "Gold and Regina… They have Pandora's Box. I don't know how they got it but they have it and they plan to use it on you… Unless…"

"Unless what?" Peter asks, his voice barely containing the fury that I know is simmering underneath the surface.

"Unless you take the deal that I'm about to offer you." I look up so I can judge his reaction.

"What's the deal?" His voice is so quiet I can barely his question.

"I told them about why you took Henry… And since I'm stuck on this island for the rest of eternity anyways I thought you could bind our lives together. That way I have to stay in Neverland, you get to remain immortal and they get to take Henry and go back home. They promise that if you take this deal and give them back Henry they'll leave and never bother us again as long as we don't bother them again."

"And I'm just supposed to take this deal? They do realize that they are guests on _my_ island? I can kill them all, especially now that you've told me what they have planned and I'll have no problem doing it either. The only reason they are still allowed to breathe while on this island is because of _you_. But now that I have you and Henry, I don't even need them for entertainment." Peter jumps to his feet and I follow him. He starts to walk away but I rush after him and grab onto his arm.

"Peter, please… I'm begging you. Take the deal. I don't want anyone I care about to get hurt. You have me… All you need is the immortality. I can offer that to you if you bind us together and then I won't ever be able to leave because it will kill both of us! You'll win everything you've wanted and more." I try to look deep into his eyes to see if I can find any hint of agreement but his dark eyes are so cold I flinch.

"What I _want_ is to show them that they don't get to show me _mercy_ by offering me some kind of deal. That's not their choice to make! It's mine. This is my island!" Peter laughs coldly, shakes off my arm and then storms down from the cliff, disappearing as he walks.

I stare at the place he disappeared from for a long time until my frustration becomes too much and I start to search for something to help quell my sudden rage. I find a rock and examine the small thing before I pick it up and throw it across the cove. "AHHH!" I scream as it flies through the air, landing in the water with a splash.

 _I have to go see my father and the others… Before they all end up dead. Peter was furious when he left. He must be planning something to hurt them all now._ I rush to my pile of clothes, still sitting in the same spot where I had left them. Peter and I had talked for so long I've already completely dried off so I don't even have to imagine myself dry.

I dress in a hurry, grab my weapons and then hurry back through the woods in which Felix and I had come earlier. By running nonstop, I manage to make excellent time from the cove to the camp.

When I crash through the trees I see everyone has their weapons drawn but when they see that it's me they all relax. "Karina! It sounded like an army was coming through those trees." Mary Margaret exclaims.

"Why are you in such a rush?" Neal asks curiously.

"Pan… He's… Pissed…" I say through my gasping as I lean forward and place my hands on my knees. The others look at each other worriedly as they crowd closer to me. "I offered him… The deal… But he thinks… You guys… Are offering him the deal out of pity… Or mercy… Something like that. It pissed him off. Now I don't know what he's going to do to you."

"Well, I guess it's settled then." Emma looks at her parents and they nod. "We're going through with our plan. We'll storm Pan's camp and trap him in Pandora's Box. Then we'll grab Henry and be out of here."

"Finally!" Regina exclaims as she shakes her head in exasperation.

"Are you good for Pan patrol?" Emma asks Neal.

"Locked and loaded." He pats the small brown satchel sitting at his waist.

"Mind if I…" Gold begins as he grabs the sword from the sheath hanging at my father's waist and pulls it out, almost cutting his chin in the process. "Borrow this? You said no magic, I agreed. But I'm not walking in there with just my good looks."

The others cast one another a wary look as my father lifts his hand to object, "Now I, on the other hand…"

"Here." I say as I unsheathe the sword strapped to my back and hand it to him. He nods his thanks and weighs the weapon in his hand.

"Let's get Henry." Emma looks determined as she begins to lead the march into Pan's camp. The others follow her and I trail behind them all with my palms sweating and my stomach in knots. Although I can see the logic behind ambushing Peter's camp now I really wish they would have decided to hold off. At least until I had more time to come to terms with what's about to happen.

Either way, someone I care about is about to get seriously hurt or even killed.

As we approach the group I see Felix and the other lost boys sitting around the fire. Peter and Henry are nowhere in sight and that instantly puts a nervous feeling in my stomach. _Where are they? What could Peter be doing already?_

"Can I at least use magic on these boys?" Gold asks his son.

"No."

"I'll do it." Regina smirks and lifts her hand as she prepares to cast the spell.

"Do you remember the spell?" Gold asks snidely and Regina casts him a sarcastic glare. I have to keep myself from laughing at their small exchange because I know my laughter won't be taken kindly by either of them.

Regina waves her hand and each lost boy falls to the ground, asleep. Myself and the others hurry into the centre of the camp. Emma calls Henry's name as we all look around but he is nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Pan?" Neal asks me.

"I don't know." I shake my head and look around helplessly.

"He's got to be somewhere!" David exclaims.

"Where?" Mary Margaret shrieks as it becomes more and more obvious that Henry is not hidden somewhere within this camp.

"Help!" A new voice shouts from the distance. Immediately Emma and the others rush to investigate and I follow although I have a nasty feeling I already know who the voice belongs to.

Sure enough, as I make it to the place where Peter likes to keep his prisoners I find Neal hacking at the cage containing Wendy. Once she's free the two long lost friends hug and rejoice at finding one another after so many years.

As the two are hugging Wendy inspects the rest of our group over Neal's shoulders. The moment her eyes land on me her reaction is instantaneous. Her eyes go wide and her mouth opens as the colour drains from her face. She pulls back from Neal and screams so loud the birds sitting in the trees nearby fly away in fear.

"NO! KEEP HER AWAY FROM ME! SHE'S ONE OF THEM! SHE'LL KILL ME! NO!" She continues to scream and fight even as Neal tries to calm her down. The others look between the two of us in shock as I try to hide my grimace.

"Wendy! Wendy! Relax! Karina's not going to hurt you. She's no longer on Pan's side! Calm down!" Neal tries everything he can to soothe the little brat but she refuses to shut up and calm down.

"That's what she wants you to think! I know her! She's the most manipulative, cunning and _evil_ girl I have ever met! She'll smile to your face and then stab you in the back because that's what she does! Now let me go!" Wendy screams as she claws at Neal's arms.

"Karina?" Emma turns to me and I try desperately not to roll my eyes in front of everyone but I'm unsuccessful.

"I thought we already established that I was a villain before coming to Storybrooke?" My words sound short and annoyed even to my ears but they seem to shut up any accusations Emma was preparing to throw at me.

It's then that Wendy finally manages to break free of Neal's hold. However, instead of running away like I fully expected her to do, she comes charging at me with a rock in her hand. I raise an eyebrow and laugh as I easily side step her attack and then grab her by her hair and throw her down on the ground at Neal's feet.

"Karina!" Mary Margaret reprimands as she kneels down to Wendy's side.

"Ugh, don't give me that. Just because I'm no longer as evil as I used to be doesn't mean I can't still remind this brat who she's messing with." I cast Wendy the most hate filled look I can muster and she flinches but when I look up at Neal I instantly regret my choices. He's looking at me as though I just ran over a puppy or something. It's awful.

"Ok, I think we all need to sit down and talk before we go any further." Mary Margaret orders. Of course, her husband agrees with her and the two of them help poor, innocent Wendy up to her feet and lead her away from me.

As the others follow my father walks up to me and taps me on the shoulder, "What in the bloody hell did you do to that girl?"

I turn back to my father and look him straight in the eyes as I say, "I was the villain."

 **A/N:** Next chapter will contain a flashback of villain Karina! Also, in regard to the continuation of a possible second book… I will probably announce my decision in the next chapter. Meanwhile, keep voting on the poll!

Please take a moment to review!


	27. Chapter Twenty-Five

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Twenty-Five ~**

 _I throw my dagger at the makeshift target that is leaning against the tree. It hits right in the centre and I hear Felix release a low whistle. "Good shot." He compliments me as he walks over and pulls the dagger out of the target. He hands it back to me and I prepare to throw it again._

" _Yes, well, I'm imagining Wendy's face." I smirk as I focus on the target and throw the dagger. Once again, it hits the centre and Felix walks over to retrieve it. As he does I turn around to find Peter sitting in the exact place he has been for the past few hours: right next to Wendy._

 _The first night Wendy spent here she decided that it was too much for her and went home with the promise that she would send back one of her brothers. I thought that would be the last I've seen of her, but then she came back a few nights later shortly after Baelfire got here and Peter's been "showing her around" ever since. He's been acting like she's some new shiny penny and has been practically ignoring me in favour of spending all of his time with Wendy._

" _Someone's jealous." Felix teases and I jerk around to see my friend standing right next to me with his hand reaching out to give me my dagger._

" _Why would I be jealous?" I grumble as I pluck the dagger from his hand. "There's nothing to be jealous of."_

" _Oh, really? I figured_ that _would require some jealousy." He nods his head, looking at something over my shoulder. I turn around to see Peter tucking the hair behind Wendy's ear and smiling his most charming grin at the little witch. Wendy, clearly flustered with Peter's attention, blushes a deep scarlet and looks down at her hands._

 _My vision becomes a dark red and I'm about to step towards the two of them and stab Wendy in the neck with one of my daggers when I feel a hand on my arm. I spin around ready to stab Felix's arm when I see him shaking his head._

" _Not here. Not now. All you'll do is make him mad." Felix cautions, his tone conveying that angering Peter is the last thing any of us want._

" _Well at least I would get to stab Wendy in the neck before Peter got mad." I grumble as I shake Felix's hand off my arm. "Why is he even spending time with her out in the open? Isn't he worried Baelfire is going to catch them together? Or Wendy will find out he's here after all? Peter's been telling her that Baelfire's not here and charming her into a false sense of security."_

" _Please. We both know that Pan's going to know exactly where Baelfire is on the island at all times. That's why he keeps Wendy away from camp usually so when Baelfire does show up he is none the wiser. Besides, none of the lost boys would be stupid enough to tell her about Baelfire and betray Pan." Felix grins, clearly enjoying my misery._

" _Ugh, are you sure I can't just stab her in the neck?" I ask after I notice Wendy giggling obnoxiously over something Peter said._

" _No, what you'll want to do will be much worse…" Felix replies with a wicked grin. I raise an eyebrow and wave my hand, gesturing for him to continue. "Wendy's lonely. Ever since she got here Pan's been dodging questions about Baelfire and keeping her separated from the rest of us. The only person he'll let near her is you… Use that to your advantage."_

" _Please, Peter isn't stupid. He's going to know exactly what I'm planning before I even do it." I roll my eyes, already dismissing his plan._

" _I'm not saying kill her… I'm just saying… Maybe you should play with her a little bit." Felix shrugs his shoulders as he looks over at Wendy and smirks._

" _Well… Peter does like playing games. I'd just be following his philosophy." I try my best to smile innocently but I feel much more like a cat getting ready to play with a mouse than an innocent little girl._

" _Exactly." Felix and I exchange a dark smirk before I sheath my dagger back in my boot and walk away from him, already plotting my first move._

… _._

 _I wait until Peter gets distracted with the mermaids acting up and then I make my move. He left Wendy alone at one of the treehouses he made for me (another reason to hate her) and went off to deal with the fish, bringing most of the lost boys with him. Now that he's gone and finally leaving Wendy alone for five minutes I'll be able to enact my plan._

 _I sashay up to the ladder leading up into the treehouse and climb up. I plaster a big, fake grin on my face and peek into the room to find Wendy lying on_ my _bed. I clear my throat and she jumps, sitting up quickly and staring at me with wide eyes. "Hi there!" I say in a sickly-sweet voice. I try not to roll my eyes or gag at the sound of my own voice._

" _Karina, right?" She asks slowly and again I have to suppress the urge to roll my eyes._ Who else would I be? Up until you came along I was the only female lost girl! _Instead of voicing my thoughts I smile and nod encouragingly. "What are you doing here? I thought you didn't like me very much…"_

" _Oh, I'm sorry if I gave that impression when you first got here! I'm just super protective of the boys and I'm always a little harsh with newcomers... I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." I can't help but add the last bit, hoping she'll realize that I'm calling her sensitive._

 _Sure enough, she straightens her back and sticks her chin out defiantly. "You didn't hurt my feelings! I was just hoping I could be friends with the only girl on the island."_

" _Oh, that's good! I'm hoping we could be friends, too. Being the only girl can get a bit lonely." I tell her as I try to focus on remaining as innocent looking as possible._

" _I can understand that. I have two brothers at home and I am the only girl. I get lonely sometimes when mother is too busy." Wendy tells me and I can see her slowly but surely letting her guard down._

" _Oh, I never had siblings before coming here. The lost boys are my brothers now." I walk over and sit down next to her on the bed. "We do all sorts of fun things. We go hunting, fishing, play tag, swimming, target practice, hiking…"_

" _Sounds wonderful! When I was here that first night we didn't do any of that. It was mostly dancing around that big fire." Wendy tells me with wide eyes. But then she shakes herself as if she's reminding herself of something. "But I didn't really come here for games. A friend of mine… I believe he's here. I've tried asking Peter but he's insisting he's not here. I'm not sure I believe him."_

" _Oh, that could be a possibility. Peter likes to keep secrets… Who is the person you're looking for?" I ask innocently._

" _His name is Baelfire. He has short brown hair and lovely brown eyes to match. Have you seen him?" The defence she put up when she first saw me continues to crumble down around her, making her more and more vulnerable._

" _I think I did!" I exclaim and try desperately not to laugh at her excitement. "But he disappeared shortly after he arrived. I don't think I saw him for more than a few hours."_

 _Wendy's face falls. "Oh, alright…"_

" _But that doesn't mean he's not still on the island! Just because I haven't seen him doesn't mean Peter sent him somewhere else. Not everyone joins the lost boys when they come to the island." I reply helpfully and watch as her face lights up again. "There's this really great spot that lets you see every inch of the island. We might see your friend if we go up there… Or at least find places he might be staying."_

" _That would be wonderful… Oh, except… Peter told me I need to stay here." Wendy bites her lip and looks around the treehouse nervously._

" _Oh, he won't mind if you're with me. I promise. Besides, don't you want to know if you're friend is really here or not? Peter could be lying to you about him." I tell her, mustering up as much earnestness as I can. I can see her contemplate following Peter's orders or going with me and possibly finding her friend._

 _Ultimately, her desire to find Baelfire wins out. "Ok, let's go." Full of determination she jumps up and hurries to the door. Once her head disappears on her way down the ladder I finally break my façade and a full-blown smirk stretches across my face._

" _Idiot…" I whisper to myself before I follow her down. She's waiting for me at the bottom of the ladder looking nervous but excited. I gesture towards a path leading away from the treehouse and she sets out down it. I follow her and the two of us make our way to the cliffs._

… _._

 _By the time Wendy and I reach the cliffs I couldn't be more annoyed. Wendy had insisted on maintaining small talk our entire way, asking me questions about my life before coming to Neverland. Of course, I had to make up any lie I could because there's no way I'm willing to tell her my real story._

 _Now as the two of us climb up to the top of the cliff I am ready to cut my ears off so I don't have to listen to her whiny voice any longer._

" _Here we are!" I exclaim and gesture around the cliff grandly. "Walk to the edge of this cliff and you'll be able to see every inch of this island. It's amazing how magic works." I add the last bit hoping it'll make the story seem more believable. I don't know what makes Wendy more foolish: the fact that she believed my story about a cliff being able to see every inch of Neverland, or that she actually agreed to come up here with me._

" _Thank you so much, Karina! This will help a lot." Wendy smiles brightly and then hurries to the edge of the cliff. Slowly I follow after her waiting for her to realize the truth. As she looks around it takes her seconds to recognize that she's been tricked. "But… I don't understand."_

" _You see Wendy, you being here has caused me a lot of problems. You went after what's mine." When she continues to look at me with a confused look on her face I roll my eyes and explain, "_ Peter _! He's mine. How dumb are you? Anyways, no one gets to try and take what's mine and live… So sorry Wendy, but I'm afraid this is the end of the road for you."_

 _Felix had told me to play a game with her, not kill her… But I've never been one to listen very well._

" _No, Karina, please don't do this!" Wendy begs as tears start to stream down her cheeks. She tries to run past me but I block her path and grab her by her arms. With as much strength as I can muster I throw her back, sending her flying over the cliff's edge._

 _I hear her screaming in terror as she falls and I can't help but laugh wickedly at the sound of it. Suddenly it stops and I rush to the edge so I can see her body plastered to the rocks down below but before I can Peter flies up from down below at break neck speed with Wendy in his arms._

 _He flies over my head and lands on the opposite side of me. He puts Wendy down and she falls to her knees, visibly trembling as she sobs. Peter turns to face me, his face contorted by his fury._

 _Rage like never before consumes me and I stomp up to Peter with my fists clenched. "How dare you." I snarl in his face._

" _How dare I?" Peter demands angrily. "How dare you! I don't want her dead and you tried to kill her anyways! Where's your loyalty?"_

" _Where's yours?" I scream. "You are supposed to be mine! Not hers! But instead of being mine you walk around with that pathetic little thing attached to your hip. She can't offer you anything I haven't already given you. She's weak and pathetic… And… And she's ugly! I want her gone! RIGHT NOW, PETER!" Feeling like a child I stomp my foot and point at her. Wendy watches our exchange in horror._

" _Are you serious? Is that what this is about? You're jealous?" Peter rolls his eyes._

 _I reach up my hand to smack him but he grabs my wrist before I can. "Don't roll your eyes at me, Peter." I growl and he smirks. "You knew I was jealous… You've always known and this was some sort of stupid game you were playing with me. Waiting to see how long it would take before I snapped. Well, you win. I've snapped. So, get rid of her. Now."_

 _Peter releases my hand and takes a step back as he rubs his neck. "God, you're a pain." I don't reply with anything other than crossing my arms over my chest and giving him my darkest glare. "But, since you've admitted that I've won…" Peter turns and walks towards Wendy with his arms out. "So sorry, but you being here is upsetting my girl. I can't have that because then she won't let me in her bed and well, her bed is a damn good place to be."_

" _What? No!" Wendy shrieks as Peter grabs her and starts dragging her down the cliff. Wendy casts me one last, horrified look. I grin and wiggle my fingers in the air as my way of saying goodbye._

….

"Instead of 'getting rid of me' Pan locked me away in that cage for years, only letting me out when he needed something from me." Wendy shakes her head angrily. "Once I was trapped in that cage he called Karina over and showed me locked away like I was some _gift_ to her. I was all just one big game for them. Pan knew Karina would get jealous and try to kill me… That's what he was hoping for. They are two of the darkest and most _disgusting_ people I have ever met."

"Oh please, at least he let you live." I grumble and the heroes shoot me dark looks as if giving Wendy her life wasn't a gift at all.

"He locked me in a cage for years!" Wendy shrieks and I roll my eyes. "All so he could make you happy!"

"No, _killing_ you would've made me happy. But he let you live because he wanted to make sure he could use you again if he needed to." I push off from the tree I'm leaning against and take a few steps towards her. "At least you learned a lesson… Don't go after another girl's guy."

Wendy looks like she's about to respond when Emma jumps in. "Ok! That's enough. Karina… I know you used to be a villain but what you did was awful. And Wendy, Karina is a different person now. She's a hero now."

Before I can stop myself I snort. "Oh, I'm sorry, you were being serious?"

"Karina…" My father says in warning. When I turn to look at him he's giving me a look that clearly says 'back off before you find yourself tied to a tree again'. I decide to take his advice and back track a little.

"Look, I'm not going to apologize for who I was or what I did to anyone. Especially not to Wendy Darling… But I will say that my intentions are the most honourable they've been in years. All I want to do is help you get Henry back and that's it." I raise my hands up in defence and while Regina, Gold and my father seem to accept it the others still look frustrated.

"Wendy, what are you even doing in Neverland?" Neal decides he's going to ignore me now as he turns to his friend.

"Well, I came back to save you. I couldn't stand the thought of you being without a family. Not after you told us that your mother and father are both dead." Wendy replies earnestly.

"You told her I was dead?" Gold asks incredulously.

Neal barely even turns to look at his father as he says, "It's better than the truth that my own father abandoned me." He makes a face and then leads Wendy to go sit on a rock. "Here, you must be freezing. Let's get you a blanket." Once Wendy is firmly wrapped up in the blanket he kneels next to her. "Hey Wendy, since you've been here have you seen my son? His name is Henry."

"You have a son?" Wendy asks though something about the way she says it makes me unwilling to believe her lack of knowledge.

"Yea, Pan needs his heart. Has he said anything about the heart of the truest believer?" Emma asks.

Slowly, Wendy shakes her head. "No, I'm sorry. He never mentioned anything about a heart."

"She's lying." I mutter and the others turn to look at me.

"Look, Karina, I know you two don't get along but you can't just accuse her of lying…" Emma begins and I roll my eyes.

"No, Karina's right. She is lying. Take it from someone who's been lying their whole life. I recognize the burden of someone who's lying." Gold agrees and I'm shocked to see him agreeing with me so easily. Times really have changed, I suppose. He starts to advance on her when David and Neal stop him. "Where is he? I'm sure you know where he is."

"Is that true?" Neal whispers, looking hurt. I'm so tempted to scream 'I told you so!' to everyone here but I wisely keep my mouth shut.

"You're helping Pan?" Mary Margaret asks.

"You don't understand. He's keeping John and Michael alive as long as I do what he says." Wendy looks miserable and I can't deny that a big part of me is loving every second of it.

"Trust me, whatever Pan has promised you he will go back on it." Gold growls. I know he's speaking from experience from when Peter abandoned him in the first place. As Gold and I meet gazes I can see the knowledge in his eyes just like I know he can see it in mine.

"And why should I trust a man who's abandoned his own son?" Wendy demands angrily. However, Wendy getting angry is more like a kitten than a lioness. She still looks innocent and soft spoken even as she glares at Gold.

"Because your brothers did." Regina interrupts. "They trusted a woman named Belle. They helped her get this box so that we can defeat Pan."

"They're ok?" Wendy asks as all the anger fades from her face and is replaced with relief.

"For now… And only if we succeed." Gold tells her.

"Wendy." Neal moves towards Wendy again and places his hand over hers. "We will save John and Michael, I swear to God. But right now, I really need your help."

"Pan told Henry that he needs his heart to save magic… That's a lie. He needs it to save himself." Wendy begins.

"Boring. I already told them all of that. Skip to the part where you tell us where Pan took Henry." I interrupt and she turns to glare at me.

"I would think that you would already know where he's taking him." Wendy asks haughtily and so help me, she sticks her nose in the air like she's superior.

"Yes, well, Pan's kind of mad at me right now for being aligned with them. He's keeping me out of the loop on the most important things." I plaster my best not-so-nice smile on my face and cross my arms over my chest.

"Oh no, trouble in paradise?" Wendy asks as she blinks innocently.

"Not for much longer. I'm much better at keeping him occupied than you ever were." I grin when she blushes. It was no secret that Wendy had a very big crush on Peter before he locked her up. She probably thought that she could 'change him' and get him to love her instead of me.

"Ok, that's enough you two." David interrupts. "Wendy, where did Pan take Henry? How do we stop him?"

"Pan took Henry to Skull Rock, but you haven't got much time." Wendy turns away from me to face the others, clearly determined to ignore me just like Neal.

"Then we'll stay here. Someone needs to be here to guard the lost boys when they wake up." David offers.

"No, you guys need to go to Dead Man's Peak to get that water. Gold's cure will only work if we bring some of it back with us." Emma orders.

"Tink and I will take care of things here. We'll meet you back at the Jolly Roger when things are ready." My father and Tinkerbell nod their heads as they look around at all the lost boys sleeping on the ground.

"Promise me if your father and I don't make it back you'll get Henry home." Mary Margaret says to her daughter, her voice thick with emotion.

"We're all going home. Together." Emma replies.

Her parents say their goodbyes and then they grab their weapons and leave the camp quickly. With my father and Tinkerbell staying behind the rest of us leave to go stop Peter. I lead the way to Skull Rock and it's a very awkward boat ride to our destination.

When we arrive Emma points to tracks in the sand. "These are Henry's shoes. Wendy was right… They're here." She rushes forward when suddenly she gets stopped and thrown back by an invisible wall of magic.

"Oh, that looked fun." I mutter sarcastically as Neal helps Emma to her feet.

"It looks like Pan cast a protection spell." Gold says as he inspects the rock walls all around us.

"There has to be a way to break it." Regina creates a ball of fire in her hand and then throws it at the shield. The magic ricochets off Pan's and comes flying back at us.

"Um, if we're going to save Henry we kind of need to be alive to do it!" I growl as I dodge the blast of fire.

"Try all you want but Pan's magic is too powerful. At least for you." Gold points at a desperate looking Regina as he slowly crosses the threshold of magic. "The spell is designed to keep anyone who casts a shadow from entering."

"And you don't have one… You were telling the truth about ripping your shadow off." Neal takes a few steps forward and stares at his father with wide eyes.

"And Pan knows it… That's why he cast the spell that he did. This isn't about keeping you out. It's about drawing me in. He knows I won't give up the chance to finish what I came here to do." Gold gestures around the room as he speaks.

"You really did come here to save Henry." Neal flashes his father a small smile.

"I gave you my trust when I gave you that box… Now I need you to give it back." Gold points at Pandora's Box which is currently being held by Neal.

Neal slowly reaches the box out to his father when Regina grabs it from him. Neal tries to protest but Regina ignores him and walks towards Gold until only the magical barrier separates them. "You better come through Gold. Or I'll make whatever Pan has planned for you look like child's play. Do you understand me?"

Gold smirks as he takes the box. "Well a simple 'good luck' would have sufficed." With Pandora's Box now in his possession Gold turns and leaves our group behind so he can face Pan.

The moment he's gone Emma turns to Regina. "The moon is what causes our shadows, right? What if we blocked it out long enough for us to get through that magical barrier?"

"Like an eclipse?" Neal asks curiously. "Is that even possible?"

"Well, yes… But I'll need help." Regina pushes up her sleeves and turns to look at Emma expectantly.

"With magic?" She asks nervously.

"It requires a lot… I guess we're about to find out how much those lessons I gave you paid off. Follow my lead." Together Emma and Regina raise their arms up over their heads and face the moon. Neal and I move to stand behind them and I'm surprised to see that the spell is working and they're managing to block the moon.

With the moon blocked we are able to sneak right past the barrier. The four of us rush into the large opening of Skull Rock to find Henry as he's about to hand over his heart. "Henry, wait! Whatever Pan's telling you to do… Don't do it!"

Henry turns around and his eyes go wide when he sees the four of us. "Dad… You're alive? And Karina… So are you!"

"We are buddy, and I need you to listen to me. Whatever Pan has told you is a lie." Neal says and I nod my head.

"Pleasure to see you too, Baelfire!" Peter says with mock enthusiasm. "Not to mention the Saviour, the Evil Queen and… Karina."

"Ok, why do they get to be called the Saviour and the Evil Queen but my name just sounds extremely unimpressive?" I grumble and Peter simply shrugs his shoulders as if that's enough of an explanation.

"Henry, you need to get away from him now. He's trying to hurt you." Emma explains as she focuses solely on her son.

"No, the heart of the truest believer… It's what's going to save magic. It's what's going to save all of you!" Henry cries desperately.

"No, it's not." Regina replies. "This was never about magic. The only person Pan cares about saving is himself."

"That's not true!" Henry insists as Peter steps forward.

"Of course it isn't!" Peter turns to face Henry as he grabs his arms.

"Yes it is! Pan can't live without you dying. If you give him your heart it is going to kill you." Neal insists.

"They're trying to stem your belief Henry but don't let them. Remember, every hero gets tested." He places his hand on his shoulder and looks him deep in his eyes.

"Henry, I know what being a hero looks like and this isn't it." Emma tells her son. Peter steps back and looks like he's ready to make Emma disappear.

"Why would they lie?" Henry asks Peter.

"Because that's what adults do, Henry!" Peter insists. "You know that better than anyone."

"Henry, you have to believe us!"

"Your parents don't care about Neverland, Henry. They know that if you give up your heart you will have to stay." Peter moves around Henry until he's standing beside him. "They're being selfish because they don't want to lose you."

"Henry you have to trust us." Emma whispers.

"Trust?" Peter yells. "I'm the only one who's ever been honest with you, Henry. The only one who ever believed in you. This is your choice. Not theirs! You have to choose now. Time is running out!"

"We believe in you Henry." Neal tells his son.

"Because we love you." Emma says.

"More than anything." Regina finishes, smiling through her tears.

"I love you too! But I have to save magic, I'm sorry." Despite all of us shouting at him to stop, Henry turns and shoves his heart into Peter's chest. The moment the heart enters Peter's body Henry drops dead and a shockwave of magic throws us all back.

"Henry!" Emma screams as she runs to her son's dead body. Regina and Neal are right behind her.

I jump to my feet and watch as Peter slowly rises higher into the sky, a look of triumph on his face. He looks down and smirks at me as I feel the power permeating the air.

"What have you done?" I whisper. "You just ruined everything!"

Peter lands on his feet in front of me. "What are you talking about? I just won the game for us."

Before I can respond Emma turns and sees Peter standing a few feet from them. "What the hell did you do to him?"

"Oh, I didn't do anything Emma. It was Henry! He offered me his heart of his own free will." Peter smirks as he wraps his arm around my shoulder. I try to shrug it off but his grip is iron tight.

"Yea, well I'm going to take it back for him." Emma draws her sword and points it at Peter's chest. She moves to stab him but he pushes me out of the way and then disappears.

"I don't think you have it in you." Peter smirks as he reappears behind her. I notice he picks up Pandora's Box and I can't help but breathe a sigh of relief that he's not trapped within it. "Rumplestiltskin didn't. Why should you?"

"Where is he? What did you do?" Neal demands angrily.

"Why, he's right in this box! Safe and sound and out of the way. Unfortunately for you, he can't hurt me anymore and neither can you." Peter inspects the box in his hand and grins wickedly.

"Really?" Emma slashes at his arm and manages to cut him. Peter inspects the blood dripping down his arm, still grinning. "How did that feel?"

"Like a tickle." Peter replies. With that being said he starts to fly higher into the sky when he stops and turns to me. "I'll be back." Then he flies away, leaving us with Henry's dead body.

 **A/N:** I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! I especially hope you guys enjoyed the flashback of evil Karina. I just love writing her as a villain, it's way more fun!

Now, as I'm sure many of you have been waiting for… After receiving an overwhelming amount of votes, reviews and support I have decided to write a sequel for this story. It seems that most of you wanted a sequel… But for those who wanted a prequel, there's still some hope! There were quite a few of you that want me to do both so that is still a possibility. I just want to wait until the sequel is up before I make any final decision on that.

Also, I'd just like to throw it out there that there are only three more chapters left!

Please take a moment to review!


	28. Chapter Twenty-Six

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Twenty-Six ~**

"How is he?" Emma asks Regina. Now that Peter is gone it's just the four of us with Henry's dead body.

Regina ignores her as she rubs her son's chest and cradles his hand to her face. "You're going to be alright Henry. We're going to get you home."

"We should probably get out of here. I don't know when Pan plans to come back here but he did say he'll be back." I tell the others as I peer at the large hour glass in the centre of the cave.

"Agreed. We need to get Henry out of here and then we'll go track that little monster down and take back Henry's heart." Emma agrees, nodding her head towards her son.

"This preservation spell will keep him in this condition for a little while longer." Regina explains as she casts a gold shimmering spell over Henry's body. "It will buy us time to get to Pan."

"Karina, you probably know Pan better than anyone. Any idea where he might have gone?" Emma asks me.

"There are all sorts of places he could have gone! He owns this entire bloody island! Our best option is to go talk to Felix. If Pan had any plans for after he got Henry's heart he would've told him." I explain and Emma nods her head.

"Seriously? That's all you have for information? You spent all your time in his bed and yet the most you can come up with is 'ask Felix'? Useless." Regina spits and I feel my anger flare. I try to reason with myself not to attack her but my anger is so potent I find myself right on the brink.

"Ok, that's enough." Emma orders as she puts her hand out between the two of us.

"Don't tell me what's enough! My son is dying!" Regina exclaims, pointing at Henry's lifeless body. I'm prepared to tell her that technically he's already dead but I figure that won't be appreciated.

"Our son." Emma reminds her quietly. "So yes, I know how you feel."

"You have no idea what I feel." Regina laughs bitterly. "You have your parents, you have this… Person." She gestures angrily at Neal. "You have a pirate who pines for you. You have everything and yet you claim to know how I feel? All I have is Henry and I'm not about to lose him because he is _everything_."

Emma kneels next to Regina and starts to whisper, "You're right. I don't know how you feel. If you want to run the show, run it… How do we save Henry?"

"I don't know."

I throw my hands up in the air and roll my eyes. _Nice to know she's ready to call other people useless and yell and bark orders but she doesn't have a plan of her own._

"Even if we can find Pan… He was powerful before and now that he has Henry's heart I don't know if we can hurt him." Neal exclaims as he runs his fingers through his hair nervously.

"Yes we can." Regina smirks and points at Emma's sword. "Look… You nicked him. If he can bleed, we can hurt him. And if we can hurt him we can kill him. And we will."

With that thought weighing on all our minds we decide to head back to Pan's camp to get the information from Felix and let the others know what's happening. Neal picks up Henry as gently as possible and then our group is off.

The moment we arrive at the camp the others are demanding details especially when they see Henry's body. The moment my father sees me run into the campground he walks over and pulls me to his chest, hugging me tightly. The way he's hugging me it makes me think he was worried he'd never see me again

"Gold is in a box?" Mary Margaret asks incredulously once Emma's finished explaining. "Then David can never leave the island."

"Mary Margaret that doesn't matter; I've already made peace with that. What matters is Henry." David explains to his wife and for a moment she looks sheepish for worrying about such a thing when Henry is clearly in a much direr situation. "How much time do we have?"

"Maybe an hour until the preservation spell wears off?" Regina estimates.

"If he's airborne he could be anywhere on this island." Neal mutters.

"Then I suggest we start looking." My father replies.

Something seems to flip inside Regina because for the first time since Henry gave Peter his heart she leaves her son's side and storms up to Felix. "Where is she?" She demands angrily as she grabs the front of his cloak and drags him towards her.

"Gone. There's nothing you can do. He's already won. Pan never fails." Felix taunts. His eyes are wide and his grin is full of insanity as he clearly enjoys taunting the rest of us.

"You won't talk? How about I make you talk?" I can tell Regina is about to rip out Felix's heart. Taking two long strides I am standing right behind her and I reach out and grab her wrist, stopping her before she can hurt him.

She jerks around to glare at me. "Can't let you do that." I tell her.

"You're going to side with them? I knew we should've killed you the moment we found out you were planning to kill Henry!" Regina shouts in my face.

"If you would stop shouting for five seconds I could tell you that torturing the lost boys isn't going to get you any answers… Look at them, they've been to hell and back. Maybe we should try something else?"

"Well what do you suggest? We have no time for anything else! These monsters don't respond to reason." Regina exclaims and I let go of her wrist and lift my index finger, silently telling her to wait.

Slowly I walk towards the younger lost boys, the ones who I know are more impressionable. They are also the ones who treated me like I was their mother back when I was still living here. "Look, guys… I know you probably all think I'm a traitor or that I abandoned you, but I'm telling you that was never my intention. I had promised that I would come back and I still mean that… You want to know the reason I didn't come back right away? It was because I found that there was life waiting outside of this island for me to discover and explore. I know you guys are loyal to Pan, but if you go through with this and you let him take Henry's heart you'll be making a terrible mistake. I used to be a villain, I know all of you who were here when I was will remember that. But I found friends and… And my father!" I turn around and gesture at my father who is watching me closely. "And I learned that not everything is black and white. Following someone blindly simply because you're loyal to them is not right. You can still be loyal to him but do what's right."

"Don't listen to her, guys. Pan is the only family we'll ever need. Just because Karina found a new one and abandoned us doesn't mean we'll do the same." Felix growls.

"I'm not going to lie… Yes, I found a new family. But that doesn't mean I abandoned my old one. In fact, I just look at it as adding my old family with my new one so I can have more people who love me and whom I love as well. The same thing can happen to all of you… But you have to help us. I know you guys got to know Henry. You can't tell me that even with all the time you must have spent with him that none of you liked him. He's impossible not to love. Don't let him die for nothing."

"But Pan's trying to save the island." One of the lost boy says shyly.

"No, he's not. He's taking Henry's heart to save himself. There's other ways to do it. I offered one to him and he refused because he wants the extra power taking Henry's heart will give him." I shake my head sadly and watch as the boys look around at one another. Sensing that I'm winning them over I add, "You just have to help us."

"You are such a traitor, Karina. You should leave now while Pan still allows you to breathe." Felix tries to get to his feet but my father places his hook on his shoulder and forces him to sit back down.

Slowly I walk over to my long-time friend and look him square in the eye. "Come on, Felix. You know he'll never kill me. No matter how much I piss him off. You, on the other hand, he has no problem punishing you… I mean, he did give you that scar for getting a bit too close to me, did he not?" I hear the others gasp behind him and when I look up I see that even my father was affected by my newest revelation. "And yet you still want to remain loyal to him?"

"Yes, because unlike you I remain loyal to those who saved my life." Felix snarls and before I can help myself I flinch.

"I'm still loyal. But my loyalty is out of love and not blind devotion… Which is why I'm able to separate my feelings from what I know is right. Killing Henry isn't right." I reply and this time Felix says nothing as we stare each other down. "You know I'll eventually be able to find him, with or without your help. But with your help things will go a lot faster."

"If we tell you where he is… Do you promise to bring us home?" One of the youngest lost boys, Charlie, asks quietly.

"Shut your mouth!" Felix orders.

I walk over to Charlie and sit down in front of him. "Yes, I promise you that we will. But not until we get your help."

Charlie looks down at his lap and then says, "His thinking tree."

"NO!" Felix shouts. Now that one boy has been brave enough to stand out others start to agree. "Stop it! All of you!"

"His thinking tree, what is that?" Emma asks me.

"Of course that's where he would go. I can't believe I didn't think of it." I turn around and grin at Emma. "I know exactly where that is and I can show you." I turn back to Charlie and cup his chin with my hand. "Thank you, Charlie." I look around at the other lost boys. "Thank you."

"Ok, Karina will lead Regina and I to where Pan is hiding. The rest of you stay here and get the lost boys on the ship and get everything ready. Once we get Henry's heart it's going to be a race back." Emma orders and once the lost boys hear that they will in fact be joining us back to Storybrooke they all share huge grins.

"Well unless you have a Pegasus sail I'm afraid we're at the mercy of the trades winds." My father grumbles.

"We have Pan's shadow. That's all we'll need… I mean, as long as your ship holds together." Neal replies testily. Clearly his rivalry with my father is still very much a thing despite Emma yelling at them back at the Dark Hallow.

"Well as long as your plan holds together." My father replies like an angry child. "She will." With that said my father walks away from Neal and moves towards me.

"Really?" I ask him once he's standing next to me. "Was that really necessary?" My father shoots me a dry look and I raise my hands in defence.

"That was quite the speech you gave." My father says after a moment of silence.

"I was feeling inspired." I grin cheekily at my father and he chuckles.

"You'll be staying on this island with Pan, won't you?" My father asks quietly, a pained expression on his face. Startled by his question I find myself at a loss for words on how to respond. The only person who really had any idea of my plan was Neal and that's because I told him that I would fight for Peter. "I heard you talking to Baelfire… About the love you have for him. And now, hearing you talk to Felix about being loyal to him out of love… I may have only raised you for a few years of your life but I'd like to think that I know you fairly well… After all, you are your father's daughter."

I sigh heavily and then wrap my arm around his as I lean against him. "Yes, I am planning to stay. Even when we get Henry's heart back, he won't be down for long. I can distract him while you guys get away."

"You realize that he might kill you for letting us get away, right?" He asks angrily.

"No, he won't. Like I told Felix… No matter how much I anger him, he won't kill me. Even if he doesn't want to admit it all the time, I know he cares for me." I let go of his arm and turn him to face me so I can look him in the eyes. "I'll be fine. I promise."

"I don't think I can let you go so soon after finding you." My father shakes his head as he grips my hand tightly.

"You don't really have a choice… I am almost two hundred years old; certainly old enough to make my own decisions." I try to smile so I can lighten the mood but he isn't having it. "Just think of this as a parenting experience… It's like you're letting me go off to college three states away and you know I'm going to do some pretty stupid stuff but you smile and wave anyways because you want to be supportive."

"What in the bloody hell is college?" My father asks and before I can help myself I burst out laughing and wrap my arms around him.

"Goodbye Papa… I love you."

"I love you too." He wraps his arms as tightly around my body as he dares and kisses the top of my head. Finally, he releases me but not before squeezing me even tighter for the briefest of moments.

My father heads off to talk to Emma so I take the chance to talk to Felix quickly before we go. "Look, I'm sorry about mentioning how you got your scar but this is important."

"More important than your family?" Felix glares at me.

"Henry is part of my family now. So I'd say it's pretty important." When he doesn't say anything else I sigh. "Don't worry, I'm not letting them kill Peter no matter how much they try. I'll die first."

"Good." Felix replies.

When it seems like he isn't going to say anything else I jump to my feet and head over to Regina and Emma. As I walk up to them I see Mary Margaret is also standing there.

"I'm coming with you guys. I may be trapped on this island for an eternity so if you think I'm not spending my last moments with my daughter… You're crazy." She crosses her arms and stares at me as if she's bracing for a fight.

"Alright then." I shrug my shoulders. "Shall we?" I gesture towards the path behind our little group and the three women part to let me through so that I can lead them to where Peter is hiding.

….

By living on the island for as long as I did I know many shortcuts to get to Peter's thinking tree so it doesn't take us very long to get there. When we arrive we see Pandora's Box sitting on a rock.

"Look." Regina points at the object in question and then immediately looks around for Peter.

"Because that isn't a trap." I mutter as Emma draws her sword.

Mary Margaret drops her weapons and rushes forward to grab the box.

"Careful. Pan wouldn't have left that just anywhere." Regina warns.

"It's David's only way home. Without Gold we're stuck here." Mary Margaret shakes her head and then reaches for the box again only for a vine to reach out and wrap around her torso, dragging her backwards.

"Mary Margaret!" Emma shouts just as vines wrap around her, Regina and myself as well. The vines push us against a tree and no matter how much we struggle they refuse to release us.

"Are you still at it?" Peter asks as he steps into the clearing and picks up the sword that Emma dropped when the vine trapped her. "Don't you know? Peter Pan never fails. I didn't expect you to find me… But then again, I shouldn't be surprised. You're mothers; you're quite tenacious about your offspring… And well, with Karina knowing all my dirty little secrets and helping you, you three have the perfect ally on your side. Unfortunately, if you're looking for Henry there is only one place you'll be reunited… In death."

"Peter… I'm begging you. Don't do this. Just give them back Henry's heart and you can bind yourself to me and stay immortal. They'll leave and we can be together again." I try to reason with him as I fight against the vines.

"But then I won't win the game!" Peter exclaims and throws out his arms.

"Forget about the stupid game!" I shout and he actually seems surprised by my outburst. "For once, just pick me over one of your stupid games."

"I am choosing you over the game. By keeping Henry's heart and becoming even more powerful I can give you anything you ask for. Including the heads of all your enemies." Peter grins and I glare at him angrily. He notices the others struggling and laughs, "Having trouble moving? Not surprising considering where you are. You see what's hastening your demise is your regret."

"What are you talking about?" Emma asks.

"This tree is the site of a very important event for me." Peter says as he looks up at the large, looming tree we are currently tied to. "I abandoned my brother here."

"You have a brother?" Regina asks incredulously.

"If you had a brother you must regret losing him." Emma says more to herself than him.

"But I don't!" Peter picks up Pandora's Box and shows it to us. "Quite the opposite actually. You see, I've got him all boxed up so I don't lose him again."

"Rumplestiltskin is your brother?" Regina exclaims.

"I'm a lot older than I look." Peter grins.

"You're a fraud. Your magic is weakened… You can't even hurt us. Let alone Rumplestiltskin." Regina smirks and I shoot her a look that says he very much can still hurt us but she chooses to ignore me.

"You're right. But that's why I'm here. This tree will protect me until my power is restored and then I get to have some real fun. I won't have to ever worry about my brother again… Just like none of you will have to worry about your child." Peter points Emma's sword at us and smiles.

"Ok, but I'm not anyone's mother… Just putting that out there." I grumble.

"Don't worry my dear… Even if you did get my lost boys to turn against me I won't be killing you. I have much better plans for you." He shoots me a twisted grin and my stomach drops. I knew talking to the lost boys the way I did and turning them against Peter wasn't my brightest idea but it was also the only idea I had at the time. I was just hoping that Peter and Felix wouldn't be too mad at me for it. After all, there's no shortage of lonely lost boys looking for fun.

Emma tries to fight against the vines but they start to tighten around us even more. "There's no way you're getting out of there. You see, this tree attacks the regret inside of anyone who comes here… And you have plenty."

"I regret not taking a better shot at you when I had the chance." Emma mutters.

"Oh but that's not all is it saviour? No… I have your son's heart inside of me. I can feel just how much you let him down time and time again." Peter is so close to Emma she could probably kick him or head butt him and yet she's so caught up in his words she doesn't think to do any of it.

"Leave her alone." Mary Margaret snaps.

"Perhaps I should. After all, what chance did she have at being a good mother? Look at the example you set? Abandoning her for twenty-eight years!" Peter shouts and Mary Margaret tries to look brave but I can tell that his words have an affect on her.

"Are you finished?" Regina asks, sounding bored.

"Last words from the queen. Perhaps a deathbed confession from the one who has the most to regret of all." Peter smirks.

"Yea, there's one problem with that… I did cast a curse that devastated an entire population, I have tortured and murdered… I have done some terrible things. I should be overflowing with regret but… I'm not!" Suddenly Regina puts all her force against the vines and they break, freeing all of us. Peter takes a few steps back, shocked and Regina follows him. "Because it brought me my son." She sticks her hand in his chest and pulls out Henry's heart. Peter falls to his knees and tries to reach for Pandora's Box but she also grabs that from his reach. "Now let's go save Henry."

"You guys go. I'll stay here and make sure he doesn't follow you." I walk towards Peter and kneel next to him.

"What? But we're going to free Gold and he can cure you so that you won't die when you leave this island!" Mary Margaret replies incredulously though I don't know why she's surprised by my decision to stay. It's not as though my feelings for Peter are a secret anymore.

"I can't leave him… Not only that, but I won't. It's fine. You guys go and tell Henry that I'll miss him." I smile encouragingly and nod my head.

"I'm sorry, Karina. But I can't let you stay here. I made a promise to your dad that I would bring you back to him… No matter what." Emma replies. I feel Peter grab onto my hand with an extremely tight grip but then suddenly Emma shouts, "Regina, now!" And my world goes black.

…..

I open my eyes and gasp as I sit up in bed. Frantically I look around until I realize that I'm in my old room on my father's ship. I grit my teeth and jump to my feet as my anger starts to manifest and grow.

I waste no time leaving my room and walking up to the deck, my eyes scanning all of the faces for my father. Unsurprisingly, I find him at the wheel. Our eyes meet and I immediately see his fill with wariness as I stomp over to him. "What the hell?" I demand through my gritted teeth. "Are you just going to kidnap me any time I don't agree with you?"

"If that's what keeps you safe, yes." My father replies calmly. He doesn't even look at me as he says it which only leads me to become even more infuriated.

"So am I going to have to jump off the boat and swim back to shore again?" I ask sarcastically.

"Nope, it's too late." He manages to maintain his cool façade as I rush over to the edge of the boat and peer over. Sure enough, the ship is high up from the sea and Neverland is barely a speck in the distance. Even if I were to survive the jump from the ship I would never be able to swim back to Neverland without the mermaids getting me.

"How could you do this to me?" I ask as I spin around to face him. "I thought you understood!"

"I understand that you love him… Doesn't mean I'm going to stand by and let him kill you or turn you into a monster like him." This time he turns to look at me and I can see the warning in his eyes. "You may be almost two hundred years old but a lot of the time you still act like a child, which means I have no problem treating you like one. You are never going back to Neverland, nor will I let you see him again. Over my dead body."

" _Now's_ the time you choose to start acting like a father?" It's a low blow and I regret saying it the moment he flinches. So I try a different tactic. "Do you really think you can keep us apart? Peter can travel worlds he will come for me sooner or later and there is nothing you can do about that!"

"I do know that he'll be dead sooner or later now that we have Henry's heart back, his lost boys have abandoned him and you're too far away for him to manipulate. I'm sorry that you don't like my decision but I'm only doing this to protect you." I can see he's trying desperately to reason with me but I can't hear any of it.

"Papa, I _love him_. More than I've ever loved anyone! If he dies… I'll die with him. You may be protecting my body but by taking me away from him you are killing my soul." Before he can respond I storm away from him. I can feel tears threatening to come out but I hold them back, refusing to let anyone else see my tears.

Just as I'm about to head below deck I see Henry and Felix sitting close to the door and I realize that they must have heard everything. "Henry… I'm glad you're back." I try to smile but I can tell it's more of a grimace. "Felix." I nod my head and he nods his head in return. I can see the sympathy in his eyes and more than anything I want to sit down and talk to him but I know I won't be able to here. Especially not in front of Henry.

"It's good to be back, Karina. I'm sorry about Pan." Henry whispers as he cocks his head to the side and inspects me closely.

"Yes, well… Villain's don't get happy endings, remember?" Before Henry can respond I rush down the steps and head straight to my room. I throw myself on my bed and wrap the blankets all around me. Then I cry.

 **A/N:** Any predictions as to how the story is going to end?

Please take a moment to review!


	29. Chapter Twenty-Seven

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Twenty-Seven ~**

I don't know how long I cried but eventually my tears ran dry and I began to feel exhausted. Despite this I'm unable to fall asleep. I don't know if it's because my eyes are swollen and my throat hurts or if it's the constant ache I feel throughout my entire body. Whatever it is, it's keeping me awake when all I want to do is slip into blissful unconsciousness.

Suddenly I hear the sound of the door creaking open. I don't bother to look because I don't care to hear what anyone has to say to me right now. I know everyone will say the same thing so I'm hoping whoever has entered my room will get the hint and leave me alone.

Sadly, whoever decided to invade my personal space sits at the edge of my bed. I feel their weight push down my mattress and then moments later a hand starts to rub my back. "Go. Away." My voice is muffled by the sheets but I'm sure my message came through loud and clear.

"He's only trying to protect you." Tinkerbell replies.

"I'm really not in the mood to hear someone justify my father's actions, Tink." I grumble as I cover my head with my arm. "Just leave me here to wallow in my self-pity."

"I can't really do that. I'm your friend." Tinkerbell says and I can feel her trying to pull the sheets back so she can see my face. Immediately I grab onto the sheets and jerk them back out of her grasp. "C'mon Karina, you can't lie here the whole way back to Storybrooke. Everyone's really worried about you."

"Then maybe you guys should have left me in Neverland." My annoyance is growing and I really wish that Tinkerbell would leave but she's either too stubborn to leave or too stupid to take the hint.

"You know Pan would have killed you for turning the lost boys against him. I know you love him but he's no good for you. Your father was doing what was best for you and maybe you don't see it now but I know that one day you'll be happier." Tinkerbell argues and again she tries to pull the sheets back.

Feeling my anger ignite I throw the blankets back and sit up to glare at her. "Tink, I love you like a sister but if you don't get the hell out of this room I am going to stab you in the neck with one of my daggers. Do you hear me?"

"What's your problem?" Tinkerbell jumps to her feet and glares at me. "I'm only trying to help!"

"My _problem_ is that for almost my entire life I've been alone and now suddenly everyone thinks they have a right to tell me how to live my life. Ever since we got to Neverland I've had to defend myself and my actions against everyone and I keep getting people make crucial decisions about _my_ life for me! And then they try to justify it like that suddenly makes it ok! Well guess what? It doesn't! So just get out of here before I do something that will make all you heroes persecute me again." With that being said I push myself backwards until my back is leaning against the wall and I look out the window that's right next to my bed.

I don't bother looking but I can hear Tinkerbell shuffle her feet as she walks to the door. I hear the door creak open but she pauses in the doorway and says, "I understand that you're hurting, but maybe you should stop pushing everyone away. Otherwise you might end up alone again… And this time Peter Pan won't be there to save you."

The door shuts just as I jerk my head to look at her. I stare at the dark wooden doorway for a long time before I grab one of my pillows and throw it at the door. Then I go back to looking out the window, my thoughts churning in my head.

I can't help but think about her saying that Peter won't be coming to save me again. The knowledge of that brings more tears to my eyes but I fight to keep them from falling down my cheeks. I hate being weak and crying but the idea of Peter dying alone in Neverland is killing me.

I never imagined trying to live without him for good. Even when I was under Regina's curse I always felt that something was missing and it wasn't until the curse broke that I learnt I was missing Peter. Once the curse was broken I was afraid of him finding me but I at least knew he was out there somewhere and I knew deep down that he would save me if I really needed it. If Peter dies he won't be there to rescue me and I won't have anyone who cares about me the most. My father loves me, there's no denying that, but he also loves Emma and I can't expect him to care about me more than her.

My anger with my father is all-consuming because I truly thought that he was going to let me make my own decision. Instead he dragged me onto his ship like I was still a child and now he's forcing me to leave Peter behind. I know he would never let anyone take him away from Emma. Sometimes I think he loves her more than he loved Milah. Perhaps Emma and my father are true love?

Are Peter and I true love? I'm no expert on the subject and I haven't seen much of it. Mostly I know that David and Mary Margaret are the best known couple for having 'true love'. They kiss each other and curses break. Peter and I have a very dysfunctional relationship and neither of us have been under any sleeping curse to determine whether or not our relationship is 'true love'. Can that even be true with how messed up we are? We both like to play games with one another, we're very bad people, we play mind tricks, we've both killed to get what we want… The list goes on and on. How can we be true love when we're that messed up? Usually villains don't deserve happy endings.

With that thought I stop myself and release a loud, bitter laugh. "Of course we're not going to get our happy ending. Peter's dying or he's already dead." I say this to myself and then immediately wince when I notice how hollow my voice sounds.

I hear a knock on the door and moments later it opens to reveal my father standing there. Immediately I turn back to face the window. Perhaps ignoring him is acting a bit childish but if he wants to treat me like a child I may as well act like one.

"I just wanted to let you know that we're about to land in Storybrooke… You'll want to come up and greet everyone." He sounds almost nervous and I want to laugh at that but I stop myself. He waits in the doorway for a few moments and then when he realizes I'm not moving he says, "Well?"

"Go away. I don't want to talk to you." I reply coldly and wrap my arms around myself even tighter.

"Karina, look… I know you're not happy with me, but-,"

"I said: go away." I interrupt him before he can finish. When he doesn't reply and I don't hear any movement I turn to look at him. He seems to be begging me for forgiveness with his eyes. "I really don't want to talk to you now or any time soon. Please just leave."

Finally, he nods his head sadly and then turns and walks away, leaving the door open behind him as he goes. I wait a few moments until I'm sure he's gone and then I decide to get out of bed. I'm stretching when Henry walks into the room.

"Hey kid… How are you feeling?" I clear my throat when I realize that my voice still sounds like I'm dead inside. "I'm surprised your moms let you out of their sight. I figured since getting you back they'd want to keep an eye on you at every second."

"There isn't much of a threat now… Pan's trapped in Pandora's Box." Henry shrugs his shoulders and I feel my blood run cold.

"Wait, what? He's still alive? I thought… I thought he was dead. My father made it seem like he was good as dead." My world starts to spin and I have to slowly sit back down on the bed.

"Yea, I guess he thought it would be easier for you to think that he's dead rather than trapped in a box with no way to escape." Henry mutters and I nod my head. I can understand my father's logic. Especially because he'd know that if I found out Peter's in Pandora's Box I would try my best to steal it and get him out. "Before we even left Neverland Pan got me alone and tried to take my heart again. Mr. Gold knew he was coming though and stopped him."

"That's great kid… I'm really glad that you're ok." I try to smile, but again it comes out as more of a grimace than a genuine grin.

"You love him." Henry replies easily. When I don't respond right away he continues, "You don't have to deny it. My mom told me how you feel about him. She also told me how much you helped to get me back… I'm sorry you've been put in this situation."

I get up and walk over to Henry and hug him. "Don't worry about it, kid. You're like a little brother to me. I'll get over this eventually." Before either of us can say anything else the entire ship starts to shake and I know that we just landed at the docks of Storybrooke. "Well, your homecoming party awaits."

I lead Henry back up to the deck and Emma immediately takes his hand and leads him off the ship. The lost boys who came willingly follow the heroes off happily, grinning when they hear all the cheering. I walk over to Felix and grab his arm and lead him off the ship, my father not too far behind us.

Once I'm off the ship Granny rushes to hug me, enveloping me in her warmth. "Oh, I am so glad that you're safe." She whispers in my ear. I squeeze her tightly, surprised by how much I missed her. When she pulls away she takes one look at my face and her smile falls, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it." I smile and rub her arm before I lead Felix away. The rest of the lost boy's trail behind me, clearly just as nervous as they are excited. "Do any of you recognize anyone here?"

"No." They all shake their heads sadly. A few of the younger ones start to grab onto me, looking for any form of comfort they can get.

"Don't worry about it, guys. Granny has an inn we can set you up in and then we'll figure it out from there. Ok? There are plenty of people in this town, I'm sure some of you are bound to know a few people here." As I'm talking to the lost boys I notice Felix managed to wander away and he's now talking to Henry. I narrow my eyes and inspect them closely. "Did Henry and Felix talk a lot when Peter was holding him captive?"

"No, not at all." One of the older boys, Curly, replies. "Not unless he had an order from Pan."

"Huh…" I mumble. "Interesting." The two boys seem to be oblivious to everyone else as they talk and I can't help but notice that same wicked gleam in Felix's eyes that I've grown to know so well.

"Hey mom! Dad!" Henry shouts. "What about Felix? He's still free!" Felix starts to look panicked as he turns to Henry for answers.

"Henry's right. We can't just let Felix walk away freely." Regina inspects Felix closely as he glares furiously at her.

"Oh, don't worry. We've got plenty of cell space for this guy." David starts to lead him away and as they walk by me he casts me an urgent look. I raise an eyebrow because I have no idea what he was trying to convey with that look. Unfortunately, Felix is unable to elaborate before David drags him off.

"Karina?" Charlie asks quietly as he squeezes my hand. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. C'mon, let's go talk to Granny and get you guys a place to stay." I lead the boys over to Granny and she seems surprised by the number of boys standing around her. "Hey Granny, got any rooms for these guys?"

She laughs. "Of course I do! Any friends of yours are welcome to stay as long as they like." She grabs a few of the boys hands and together we lead them away from the docks.

….

After I got the lost boys settled in I head down to the diner to find a welcome back party in full swing. My eyes scan the crowd looking for one person in particular that I've been meaning to speak to for a while now.

When I find him sitting in one of the booths by himself I walk over and slide in across from him. "Hey, can we talk?"

Neal leans back in his seat and stares at me, his expression cold. "I don't really have anything to say to you."

"Well that's good, because I have plenty I want to say to you so shut up and listen." Neal rolls his eyes but he doesn't argue so I figure he's willing to listen. "Look, I'm sorry I never told you about Wendy. I knew she was your friend and I knew how you felt about her but I still kept her a secret from you. I know that wasn't cool for me to do. You said so yourself that I am not the person I used to be. While I don't regret most of what I did, I do regret that it hurt you. You have always been a good friend to me and I'm sorry I wasn't able to return the favour."

Neal stays quiet for a long time as he watches me closely. Finally, he leans forward and points his finger at me, "If you promise to never lie to me again and that means withholding the truth about anything… Then I'll forgive you."

"Yes, absolutely, I promise!" I agree immediately, smiling widely at my friend. He smiles back and pats my hand before he gets up from the booth and heads over to the counter to talk to my father.

Just as soon as Neal leaves the booth Gold is taking his place. "Hello, dearie." He smiles and then places a small vial full of a clear liquid in front of me.

"Um, hello? What's this?" I pick up the vial and hold it in front of my face as I inspect it closely.

"The curse for dreamshade, of course." Gold replies.

"Oh wow, you actually came through with a cure." I mutter more to myself than to him. I place the vial back down on the table and narrow my eyes at him. "And I don't owe you anything for this?"

"No, it is on the house. However, seeing as you are in love with my brother… I'm sure if I ever needed a favour you would be more than receptive." He clasps his hands together on the table in front of us and smirks.

"Oh, sure. I'll be tripping over myself to do you a favour after you trapped Peter in Pandora's Box." I give him a nasty smile as I lean back in the booth and cross my arms over my chest.

"Careful Miss Jones… Keep talking like that and the others might start to think you've switched your loyalties." He nods over my shoulder and I turn to see Emma standing there and talking to her parents. When I look back at Gold he's already gotten up and walked over to Belle.

Feeling annoyed I grab the vial and leave the diner, ignoring my father's pleading looks. I'm barely out the door when I hear Emma call my name. For a minute I worry that Gold said something to her but when I turn around to face her she's smiling.

"Hey… I just wanted to ask you something." She stops in front of me and shoves her hands in her jacket pocket.

"Sure."

"I know you were talking to Henry earlier… Does he seem off to you at all? Everyone else I ask says he's just been through a lot and I shouldn't worry… But I can't shake this weird feeling that something is off about him." Emma shakes her head helplessly.

"You've noticed something about him too?" I ask and by the relief on her face I can tell she was nervous that I wouldn't have agreed with her.

"Yea, it's weird. He barely recognized his story book when I gave it to him and then he wanted to spend the night at Regina's, which I guess isn't _that_ weird but he's just been acting really strange." Emma rambles for several moments until she catches herself. "Sorry, I'm rambling, I know. But I just feel like something really bad is about to happen."

"Let's hope for all our sakes that it doesn't." I mutter. "Just keep an eye on Henry. Maybe the others are right and he's just been through a lot. We could be worrying over nothing. Let me know if he does anything else that's strange."

"Ok, I will." She smiles at me and then heads back inside, leaving me free to head back to my apartment.

…

The next day I'm on my way to Granny's to check on the lost boys when I hear a bunch of screaming. Moments later I see Peter's shadow fly by over head and then hear a bunch of shouting coming from the church.

"What the bloody hell?" I mutter to myself and then rush to the church. Upon my arrival I see a whole group of people crowded around a body that's lying on the ground. Once I get closer I can see that it's the Blue Fairy who's on the ground and that she's actually dead.

"Karina, why is Pan's shadow here?" Emma asks me once she sees me standing beside the group. "There's no way he should be able to control it from inside Pandora's Box!"

"I don't know! I'm not exactly an expert on magic." I throw my hands up in mock surrender. "Maybe he's not really trapped in Pandora's Box." My eyes drift over the faces in the crowd until they land on Henry. He looks worried but it almost looks like an actor who's practiced their appearance for far too long and now it looks fake.

"How is that possible? Gold trapped him in there! He wouldn't just let him escape." David exclaims incredulously.

"Hook, let's go back to your ship and get that candle. We're going to need it if Pan's shadow strikes again." Neal says to my father. He nods and the two men along with Tinkerbell leave our group.

"So Pan can still hurt me." Henry mutters nervously as he looks between his two mothers.

"We don't know that." Regina places her hand on her son's shoulder and gives it a comforting squeeze.

"Well we have to assume that he's still a threat." Mary Margaret replies.

"And that Pan is still after him." Emma concludes.

"Henry's not safe in the open. Regina, you'll have to take him and keep him hidden." David nods to Henry and Regina and the two of them hurry down the steps of the church until Emma stops them. Regina and Emma become involved in a hushed conversation and as they do I take my time to inspect Henry.

He's standing at the bottom of the steps and looking like he has no care in the world. When he sees me watching him a grin stretches across his face and he winks. Before I can even react Regina has wrapped her arm around his shoulders and is leading him away.

 _No way. That's impossible! Peter is not possessing Henry!_ With my thoughts as hectic as they are I barely hear Emma talking to me until she snaps her fingers in front of my face. "Sorry, what?"

"I said, maybe you should go talk to Felix. You're probably the only one who stands a chance at getting answers out of him. Find out what he knows about Pan, his shadow and his plan. But be careful." Emma tells me and I nod my head.

"Sure. I'll go." I force a smile and then hurry down the steps. _Going to see Felix is exactly what I had in mind anyway. I think it's time I got some answers._

…

When I arrive at the sheriff's station there is no one around. I look around through all of the offices and not a single person can be seen. By the time I wander over to the prison area Felix is already standing against the bars and watching me.

"Pretty terrible sheriff's station when there aren't any employees." I mutter to myself as I slowly approach Felix. He has a stupid smirk on his face and now I know exactly why that is. "Peter switched bodies with Henry, didn't he?"

"What gave you that idea?" Felix asks with mock curiosity and I roll my eyes.

"Cut the crap, Felix. What is he planning? Switching bodies with Henry was smart but there's no way he would've done it unless he was planning something." I grab the bars and bring my faces inches from his. "What's he planning?"

"Why would I tell you? Clearly you're not as loyal to Pan as you claim since you were so willing to help them find him and take Henry's heart back." That same infuriating smirk remains on his face. It makes me wish I could reach through the bars and punch him.

"Damn it, Felix! How many times do I have to explain myself? I am loyal to Peter. But I'm also loyal to Emma, Henry and everyone who lives here. I offered Peter a deal that he didn't want to take but would've made both sides happy. But because he's so set on killing an innocent kid I constantly have to play both sides."

"Why do you feel the need to play both sides at all? You said it yourself that those people turned on you and now you find it hard to forgive them. Your own father doesn't trust you enough to let you make your own decisions. Why do you choose to remain loyal to them when all they've done is ruin your life?" Felix shouts. The smirk has left his face and now it's replaced by an angry snarl.

"Because despite all that they showed me that being a villain isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Sometimes it really sucks. I know I can never be a hero and save the day. That's not me. But at least I can stay somewhere in the middle. They help me do that." I try desperately to get Felix to understand my side. I don't know why but I need Felix to understand my reasoning.

"You know that you've only ever been able to be your true self when you're with us and I guess we'll just have to prove that to you again." Felix sighs and shakes his head. Then he says the strangest thing, "Whoops."

I'm about to ask him what he means when I feel something hard hit the back of my head and I go down. Everything goes black.

…

I wake up to the sound of constant ringing and my head pounding. I release a groan and roll over onto my side, clutching my head with both my hands. As I slowly come back to reality I realize the ringing is actually my phone and the constant noise it's producing isn't helping my headache at all.

"How the heck do you get this thing to shut up?" I hear Felix mutter.

"Give it to me. You're not doing it right." I hear Henry's voice and it takes me a minute to remember that's not really Henry.

"Not having much success either, are you?" Felix taunts.

"Shut up."

I groan again and push myself up into a sitting position. "What's going on?" I ask groggily.

"Oh, good. You're awake. Shut this thing up, it's been ringing nonstop for an hour." Peter grumbles as he hands me the phone. I look down at the caller ID to see Emma's calling me. I consider answering it but as if he's guessed my thoughts he rips the phone out of my hands. "Nope, I'm afraid I can't let you talk to her just yet." With that he throws my phone across the clearing and it smashes into little pieces against a rock.

"Why didn't we do that earlier?" Felix grumbles.

"Because I was trying to be nice and let her keep it. Clearly that got me nowhere." Peter replies. "Now… Felix told me you were asking about my plan. Well here it is: I'm going to cast the same curse that Regina did, except much worse. Emma won't be able to break it and I'll be the king of the new Neverland."

"What? Are you kidding me? You're going to cast some stupid curse that's already been cast? For what? To create another Neverland?" I jump to my feet and glare at him.

"With this curse everyone will become my slaves. They won't have their memories and they'll be trapped here, forced to do my bidding. I can think of no better revenge for what they did. Peter smirks as he slowly walks towards me. "There's only one little problem… I need the heart of the thing I love most. And unfortunately for you, my love… That just so happens to be you."

My eyes widen and I take a step back when Peter grabs me with more force than I thought Henry's body could muster and drags me back to him. "Peter, don't do this. We can still go back to Neverland." I look over his shoulder at Felix and I notice that he looks just as shocked by the sudden turn of events.

"So sorry, sweetheart." His hand punches through my chest and I can feel him gripping my heart. "It's not easy being loved by a monster."

 **A/N:** Next chapter is the last one! Please take a moment to review.


	30. Chapter Twenty-Eight

**Disclaimer** **:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Twenty-Eight ~**

I stare at my glowing heart with all the darkness inside it with complete disbelief. Peter glances down at it and smirks when he notices the flickering darkness right in the center of it.

"How could you do this to me?" I whisper quietly, my eyes wide.

"Because I love you. And because I need your heart in order to do something that needs to be done." Hearing Peter say those words in Henry's body causes my stomach to twist painfully.

"You don't have to do this at all! I told you that we can go back to Neverland and you can bind yourself to me. Neither of us will ever have to worry about anything again." I turn to Felix but immediately disregard gaining his help when I notice he's frozen in shock.

"But that way I don't _win_. Peter Pan never fails." Peter continues to give me that wretched smirk of his. I wish I could smack it off his face but the fact that he's currently holding my heart keeps me from doing anything stupid.

"You're doing this for your stupid pride? Really?" I shriek. "Because of that stupid mantra the lost boys assigned to you ages ago you're going to kill me?"

" _No,_ I'm killing you so I can cast the curse. Haven't you been listening?" Peter huffs. "It's not like I _want_ to kill you but I do want to win and unfortunately, that means you have to die." Before I can say anything else he moves my heart over the well and I realize that it's glowing. Then the most painful feeling I have ever felt takes control of my body.

I cry out and fall to the ground as I grip my chest. My cries seem to snap Felix out of whatever shocked state he had fallen into because suddenly he grips Peter's wrist and pushes him backwards. Because Peter wasn't expecting any interference from either of us, he almost falls from the force of Felix's shove.

"What do you think you're doing?" Peter seethes as he storms up to Felix.

"I can't let you kill her. Not when there's another way for all of us to live." Felix growls. "I know if you kill her now you will one day regret it. Because she's the only person in your life who doesn't see you as a monster."

Peter narrows his eyes and raises his hand that isn't currently holding my heart. Felix goes flying back and hits a tree before his body collapses to the earth with a loud thud. He must be out cold because he makes no effort to get up.

Peter walks back towards the well only this time I notice a falter in his step. "Alright, if you want to sacrifice me to get what you want. Fine. Do it. See if anyone else will stand beside you like Felix and I have once you're the king of this 'new Neverland'. I can guarantee you, Felix won't stand beside you when he wakes up and sees that you killed me."

Peter keeps his back to me but I can see his head turn ever so slightly as he looks over his shoulder at me. With a shake of his head he starts to squeeze my heart again and I collapse to the ground again. The pain is the worst I have ever felt. I can't even form coherent thoughts to describe what having your heart ripped out and squeezed feels like. It's like a million forms of torture rolled into one and then magnified by ten. As my screams continue to tear into the night I wonder if anyone will hear them and try to come to my rescue. Surely, they will die trying.

Just as my vision starts to go dark the pain stops and I begin to gasp for air. Tears wet my cheeks and I claw at the earth as I roll over and look up at Peter. He's staring at my heart with a tortured expression, as if he's the one who just went through the pain that I did.

With a gasp he looks at me and says, "I can't do it. I won't." I slowly manage to push myself up off the ground until I'm in a sitting position. I watch him cautiously as he walks over to me. "I'll put your heart back and then we'll find another way. But I can't kill you."

"No… You're lying." I mumble as I try to move away from him. "This is just a part of your sick game. Do you really hate me so much that you're willing to torture me first?"

"No, Karina. I'm not lying and I don't hate you." He reaches out to caress my cheek and I flinch away from him. He drops his hand and looks down at his feet. "I can't kill you because Felix was right. You're the only one who doesn't look at me like I'm a monster. I'm not willing to give that up just to rule this town. To be honest, this town isn't that great anyways. The Evil Queen really could've done a better job."

"We'll go back to Neverland?" I ask nervously. I still can't believe that he's being truthful. I've realized now that villains don't get happy endings. Even if Peter did have a change of heart and decided not to cast this curse I can't believe that he's so willing to go back to Neverland and let the heroes win.

"Yes. We'll go back to Neverland and I'll bind myself to you. We'll be together for an eternity; just like we were always meant to be." He grips my chin and I can tell he's about to lean in for a kiss when I put my hand up.

"Um… No. Not while you're in Henry's body. We have to get your own body back first." I eye Peter in Henry's body and grimace.

"Yea… That's definitely a good idea." Peter mutters as he looks down at his current body. "First, let's put your heart back." He's about to place my heart back where it belongs when suddenly his shadow swoops down from above and rips my heart out of his hand.

"Remember when I said I would kill you for binding me as your shadow?" It's the first time I've ever heard the shadow speak and I wish I hadn't. The voice is incredibly disconcerting. Even more so now that he holds my heart.

"Karina has nothing to do with this." Peter snarls as he jumps to his feet. The shadow is looming over the well with my heart and I know that if the shadow chooses to crush my heart it will activate the curse because he is Peter's shadow. Essentially, they are the same person.

"She has everything to do with this!" The shadow hisses. "You used to be a wicked villain. You would sacrifice me children and play games with your victims. But then you grew to love this wretched girl and you became soft. Now you can't even cast the curse that will bring about our victory!"

"How are you even doing this? You're supposed to be bound to me as my shadow! You can't disobey me even if you wanted to." Peter looks at his shadow in disbelief as it starts to cackle horrendously.

"You stupid boy… The more you weakened the more your magic over me weakened as well. Then when you made the stupid decision to switch bodies with this boy you finally set me free. It's hard for me to be your shadow when you're in a body that is barely magical." The shadow snorts and then as if to say that the conversation is over his fist tightens around my heart.

With a sharp cry I grab my chest and fall to my knees. "Peter!" I gasp.

"Let her go!" Peter shouts as he forms a fire ball in his hand. "You said you wanted to kill me. Well, I'm standing right here. Give it your best shot." The shadow continues to ignore him and crush my heart. "Oh, I get it. You're afraid of losing to a 'stupid boy'."

Clearly, the shadow's biggest problem is his ego. Because Peter's taunting works and with a mighty roar the shadow lunges at him. The pain in my chest subsides and I'm able to breathe again and watch as Peter throws the fire ball right in the shadow's face. The shadow veers back with a sharp cry. While it's distracted Peter throws another fireball and another until suddenly the shadow breaks free and throws Peter up against the tree and pins him there.

I know I have to do something to help Peter but with no weapon and no magic of my own I am extremely limited. I decide my only choice is to attack it with my own two hands. I rush forward and I'm a little surprised when I'm able to grab onto it. The shadow's form feels oily and thick in my hands as I grab it by the waist and pull with all my force.

The shadow drops Peter to the ground and turns on me. It backhands me and I go flying and hit my head against the well with a loud cry. Despite the throbbing pain at the back of my skull I jump to my feet, prepared to help Peter again.

The piercing cry of the shadow fills the night air as Peter continue to launch fire ball after fire ball at it. Slowly, he backs it towards me and the well. "Karina, duck!" Peter shouts. I dodge out of the way and soon Peter has the shadow cornered against the well. "Get your heart!" He yells at me. I jump in front of the shadow and grab my heart from it's hand as Peter continues to throw fireballs at it from the side.

As I rip my heart from it's hand I lift my foot and kick it with all my might. The shadow falls down into the well with a shrill scream. The moment it lands at the bottom of the well a dark green cloud starts to rise.

"Um… Peter?" I call out as I peer down into the well with wide eyes. "What's going on?" Peter walks over and leans over the edge of the well to see what I'm seeing.

"The curse… It's been activated." Peter turns to look at me as a smirk slowly starts to grow across his face.

"What? How? I'm holding my heart right here! And as you can see, I am clearly alive!" I gesture towards my body several times as I begin to hyperventilate. "Oh no… We just cast a curse… Oh man. My dad's going to kill me."

"We sacrificed my shadow… Which, I suppose was such an integral part of me it was essentially sacrificing myself. I guess since the spell worked I really loved myself more than I loved anyone…" Peter trail off, clearly perplexed by this newfound information.

"Oh, that's nice. I'm dating a narcissist." I mutter sarcastically.

"Don't you see what this means, Karina?" Peter grips my arms enthusiastically. When I slowly shake my head he continues, "It means that I can have everything! I can keep you and Felix and I can win! The curse is activated. Soon, I will be in control of this entire place and everyone else will be slaves to me and my new world."

"Peter…" I start to say but he interrupts me with a joyful laugh.

"I've won!" He turns to look at me and grins. "C'mon. Let's grab Felix and go someplace where we can watch the madness unfold." He grabs my hand and drags me towards Felix's unconscious body.

Behind us the dark green cloud of smoke starts to flow over the well walls and cover the ground. I watch with wide eyed horror as I realize what we have unleashed.

…..

"Let me get this straight… By sacrificing your shadow you were able cast the curse and Karina was able to survive it." Felix looks between the two of us as I lean against the wall next to the giant clock and Peter sits down on a crate in the middle of the room.

As I look out the window I can already see the destruction of the curse. My stomach twists painfully as I wonder where my father is. I thought I was going to die earlier and now all I want to do is apologize and make up with him. I don't want our last moments together to be filled with anger and hatred.

"That's right." Peter replies.

"But how is this going to affect Karina now? She was supposed to be what triggered the activation of the curse. You said that the two of us will be immune to it… What about her?" Felix asks curiously.

I look away from the window and focus my attention on Peter. I hadn't thought about what kind of impact the curse will have on me now. "I don't know. I suppose it's either one. She'll either be placed under the curse like the others or she'll be immune. If she does end up cursed I can easily find some way to break it." Peter shrugs his shoulders, clearly unconcerned by my unknown outcome.

I sigh heavily and turn back to face the window. "I thought we were going to go back to Neverland."

"That was before the curse was activated and before I found out you don't have to die to get what I want." I hear someone get up and when I turn around to look I see that it's Peter. He's walking towards me with my heart in my hands. "I guess we should've put this back already."

"Oh, you're not going to use it as leverage against me?" I say this only half-joking.

"No, of course not." Peter scoffs. In just a few seconds he has gripped my shoulder tightly and then shoved the glowing organ back into my body.

"Ow!" I cry. "You could have warned me."

Peter smirks and it looks like he's going to say something when suddenly his eyes roll back into his head and it appears as though he's having a seizure

"What's going on?" Felix shouts as he grabs Henry's body and gently lowers it to the floor.

"I don't know!" I shriek as I fall to my knees next to him and hold his hand. What feels like hours pass until Henry slowly opens his eyes. I lean forward and look into his eyes, "Peter?"

"Karina?" He looks around and when he sees Felix on the other side of him he jolts up and scrambles away from us.

"Henry?!" I cry this time as I jump to my feet. Felix and I exchange an astounded look as Henry stares at both of us. "Henry, is that really you?"

"Yea… Yea, it's me." He looks at Felix nervously. "Mr. Gold cast a spell to put Pan and I back in our own bodies."

"It's ok, Henry. Felix won't hurt you… Right?" I turn to give Felix a pointed look. He appears as though he's going to try and ignore me so I hit him as hard as I can on his arm.

"Ow!" He shouts and starts to rub his bruised limb. "No, I won't hurt you."

"Karina… Did you help Pan cast this curse?" Henry asks me, his expression hurt.

"Not intentionally. Believe me, kid. It's a very long story."

"We thought for sure that you'd be dead when we learnt that Pan successfully activated the curse. Doesn't he love you more than anyone?" Henry asks curiously.

"No, apparently he loves himself the most." I grumble as I cross my arms over my chest.

"Karina, we can stop this curse from happening. I just have to get this scroll to my moms." Henry fishes the scroll that Peter used to cast the curse out of his pocket and shows it to me.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that, kid." Felix smirks dangerously. "Pan's finally getting what he wants and I can't let anyone try and stop him."

"Oh, for God's sake, Felix! If they don't stop this curse we'll never go back to Neverland. You love Neverland! And you hate Storybrooke. We'll let Henry go so that the heroes can stop the curse and then we'll deal with Peter's backlash later."

"You may be content constantly switching your loyalties, Karina, but I'm not." Felix growls. He starts to advance on Henry and the moment his back is to me I grab him by the back of his hair and bring his head down to hit the banister to the stairs, one, two, three times before finally he passes out.

"Ok, Henry. Go!" I shout and needing no further encouragement Henry races down the stairs of the tower with me following quickly on his heels.

As we run outside we see all the heroes including my father and Granny running towards us. "It's me! It's me! It worked." Henry shouts happily as his mothers embrace him.

I see my father stop suddenly when he sees me and I run to him. I throw myself into him and wrap my arms around his neck. He wraps his arms around my waist and hugs me tightly. "I'm sorry, Papa!" I cry into his neck.

He puts me down and cups my chin with his hand. "I thought you were dead… Pan cast the curse. How are you alive?"

I'm about to tell him that it's a long story when I see the others are also looking at me, clearly waiting for an explanation. "Apparently, Pan loves himself more than he loved me. He tried to sacrifice me first but he couldn't go through with it. His shadow came out of nowhere and tried to sacrifice me anyways so I kind of kicked it down the well and it activated the curse…"

"Idiot!" Regina growls.

"Hey, he was trying to crush my heart! I didn't have much of a choice." I grumble.

"None of that matters anymore! Henry, do you have the scroll?" Emma asks her son. He pulls it from his pocket and smiles. "It's up to you now."

Emma hands the scroll to Regina but the moment she touches it a ray of light shines out of it and Regina collapses. Emma constantly shouts her name until finally Regina awakens with a gasp. "Emma?" She whispers. Neal helps her get to her feet though she looks like she's too shocked to register anything.

"What happened? Are you ok?" Emma asks.

"Yes. I'm fine… I just saw what need to be done." Regina mumbles. She says it so quietly I can barely hear her.

"Mom… Are you going to be ok?" Henry wonders nervously.

She leans forward and cups his chin. "The important thing is… You'll be." She smiles at him and before Henry can smile back the scroll disappears from his mother's hand.

"No, he won't." I look up and Peter is walking towards us, a devilish grin on his face.

"He has the-," My father starts to yell when Peter waves his hand and all of us freeze.

"Curse? That I do. Look at you all, a captive audience!" Peter says gleefully. "I could play with you like a pack of dolls, couldn't I? But I think I'll start with these two." He walks towards Neal and Belle. "Hm, you both look so adorable. Hard to tell which one to kill first… Wait, no it isn't. You, I'll kill you first." He points at Neal. "Truthfully, I should've killed you a long time ago. Just like I killed Rufio. Both of you tried to steal my girl, take her away from Neverland. I was merciful then and let you live… But now, I'm not feeling so nice…"

"Stay away from them." Gold grabs Peter by the shoulder and turns him around to face him.

"How about this? The worm has teeth. What? Are you here to protect your loved ones?" By the end of it his voice has taken on a babyish tone as he smirks wickedly.

"I'm not going to let you touch either one of them." Gold replies cockily.

"Oh, I'd like to see that."

"Oh, you will. Because I have a job to finish and I have to do whatever it takes. No loopholes." Panic starts to set in as I realize that something is very, very wrong. "And what needs to be done requires a price… A price I am finally willing to pay." Gold turns to look at his son. "I used the curse to find you Bae, to tell you that I made a mistake… To make sure you were the chance at happiness. That happiness is possible. Just not with me… I love you, Bae."

"Pretty, pretty words." Peter snorts. Just then I hear the sound of a door open and close and I look up to see Felix walking towards us.

"And I love you, Belle. You made me stronger." Gold continues like nothing has happened even though I know he heard Felix.

"Stronger?" Peter laughs again. "Yes… But still, no magic." I notice the black band on Gold's wrist. The one that Peter spelled a very long time ago.

"Oh, but I don't need it!" Gold exclaims. "You see, you may have lost your shadow but there's one thing you seem to be forgetting."

"What's that?" Peter asks angrily.

"So have I. And I sent it away with something to hide." He lifts his arm in the air and a shadow comes swooping down from the sky. It drops the Dark One's dagger in Gold's hand. Without hesitation Gold grabs onto Peter. "You see, the only way for you to die is if we both die!"

Peter tries to fight him and Felix tries to hit Gold but some type of magic throws him back. "No!" Felix shouts.

"Now… I'm ready!" Gold ignores Felix and plunges the dagger into Peter's back.

"NO!" I scream and just like that the magic keeping me still breaks. I stumble forward and I look at the others to see they're still frozen. "PETER!" I scream and rush towards the two brothers. However, much like what happened to Felix, I get thrown back by some electrical shock of magic.

"Hello, Malcom." Gold says as Peter starts to age.

"Rumple, please… You can stop this. We can start over. We can have a happy ending!" Peter tries to reason in a haggard tone. He starts to wheeze as the dagger sucks more and more of his life away.

"Oh, but I'm a villain! And villains don't get happy endings." Gold jerks the dagger up some more and light magic starts to envelope the two men as the life fades from Peter's eyes.

"No, no, no! Peter!" I sob as I clench my fists to my chest. I watch as Gold kisses his brother on the cheek and in a bright blast of light the two men disappear leaving only the scroll behind.

With Gold and Peter gone the magic wears off on the others but I don't pay them any attention as I sob uncontrollably. The pain I feel is somehow worse than my heart being crushed. I think I would prefer that now, actually, if it meant I didn't have to witness the love of my life be killed.

As I continue to sob Felix slowly walks towards me and falls to his knees beside me. I feel him place his hand on my back but it offers no comfort. Then I see Regina walk around us and pick up the scroll.

Suddenly, an anger like I have never felt before courses through my veins and causes me to see red. Everything in me, from the tips of my fingers to the centre of my being feels like it's been filled with heat. I jump up and rush at Regina. "THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" Before I can get very far I feel arms wrap around my waist. I try to fight Felix but he refuses to let me go. "YOU DID THIS! I HAD IT ALL PLANNED OUT! WE WERE GOING TO GO BACK TO NEVERLAND AND YOU NEVER WOULD HAVE SEEN US AGAIN! I HATE YOU! I HATE ALL OF YOU!"

The others seem shocked by my explosive reaction. "Karina, it was for the best." Emma says quietly.

"It was for the best? How was any of this for the best? I have done everything for all of you! I have sacrificed my own loyalties to ensure that you were all kept safe! Now you had one chance to let us go and you couldn't take it? Do you all hate me that much?! Do you want to see me suffer?" I continue to cry and fight against Felix.

"He never would've gone back to Neverland and left us all alone! I don't care how much faith you had in him. He cast that curse and he was going to kill us all!" Emma looks like she's trying desperately to plead with me.

" _I'm_ the one who ended up casting the curse! _I_ kicked the shadow down that damn well! I thought of everything! I let Henry go rather than stop him so he could give you that stupid scroll so you could stop the curse. Then Peter, Felix and I were going to leave. You had to ruin it!"

"We didn't know that's what Gold was planning!" Emma shouts.

"Bullshit!" I start to sob again. "I loved him and now he's gone! Because of all of you! I… I don't k-know how to l-live without him."

"Karina, it was for the be-," My father starts.

"So help me, if you say 'it was for the best' _one more time_ I will kill you myself!" I shriek as I claw at Felix's arms. Felix's grip is steady and unwavering as he continues to support most of my weight and suffers through my attacks.

"Karina…" My father whispers sadly.

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you… He's dead because of you." I start to chant as Felix and I fall to the ground. I don't know exactly who I'm speaking to as I say those words but by the look on my father's face he must have thought I was directing them towards him. I can hear Felix trying to his best to say comforting words but comforting a person isn't his strongest skill. "I've lost everything…" I say to myself and I notice the others look around at each other nervously.

"IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE!" A new voice starts to shout and when I look up Leroy is running towards us. "The curse… It's coming! From all sides! There's no escape." He points over his shoulder and I can see the curse gaining on us.

"It's not too late." David exclaims hopefully. "We can still stop it, right? Regina?"

"Yes… Yes." Regina seems too shocked to say anything other than one word.

"Well what's our price? Gold said there is always a price. What's ours?" Emma asks.

"It's not our price, it's mine…" Regina explains. "It's what I felt when I first held it." She looks down at the scroll in her hands. "I have to say goodbye to the thing I love most."

"Henry?" Emma asks nervously.

"I can never see him again… I have no choice." Regina replies. "I have to undo what I did."

"The curse that brought us to Storybrooke?" Mary Margaret wonders.

"That created Storybrooke… It doesn't belong here. And neither does any of us!" Regina gestures towards all of us with a sad smile.

"Breaking the curse destroys the town…" David mutters.

"It will be taken out of existence as though it were never here." Regina clarifies. "And everyone will go back to where they are from… Prevented from ever returning."

"We'll go back to the Enchanted Forest?" Emma inquires.

"All of us… Except Henry and Karina." I lift my head in shock and Regina nods her head ever so slightly. "Henry will stay here because he was born here… And Karina will stay because even though Pan started the curse, she was the one to essentially cast it and that makes her immune… Just like Pan wanted himself to be immune from the magic of the curse so that he could obtain his memories while the rest of us were cursed."

"But… We'll be alone." Henry whispers. I don't bother to look up because I can't bring myself to look at the crestfallen look on his face. "Karina and I can't live on our own!"

"No… Because Emma will take you both… She's the saviour. She was created to break the curse and once again she'll be able to escape it."

"No, we'll all go back together." Emma exclaims.

"That's not an option… I can't see Henry again. That is the price I must pay. If I don't pay the price than none of this will work." Regina replies sadly as she cups her son's cheek.

"Emma, you have to go!" Mary Margaret urges her daughter.

"But I just found you…"

"And now it's time for you to leave us again. For your best chance, for theirs." Mary Margaret nods towards Henry and me.

"No, no, no! I'm not _done_. I'm the saviour, right? That's what Henry always said! I'm meant to bring back the happy endings." Emma looks to her son as if she needs some reassurance of her magical destiny.

"Happy endings aren't always what we think they will be." Mary Margaret shakes her head and smiles but I can tell she's trying very hard to hold back tears. "Look around, you've touched the lives of everyone here."

Emma's eyes drift around our group but when her gaze stops on me she immediately winces and looks away. "But we're a family." She says to her mother.

"Yes, and we always will be."

"You, Henry and Karina can be a family. You can get your wish… You can be like everyone else. You can be happy." David smiles but unlike his wife he has less success keeping the tears from falling.

"It's time for you to believe in yourself, Emma. It's time for you to find hope."

"I've known you for some time and all I've wanted was for you to get the hell out of my life so I can be with my son… But really, what I want is for Henry to be happy. We have no choice. You have to go." Regina looks Emma firmly in the eyes and her tone leaves no room for argument. With Henry's future happiness on the line Emma can't find any other reason to argue.

"Ok…" She whispers and with her agreement Regina sends the three of us off to pack our things.

Felix follows me back to my apartment though when we arrive instead of packing I walk over to my bed and curl up into a ball. "Karina, you have to pack." Felix urges as he grabs a suitcase out from my closet and starts throwing clothes into it.

"If I stayed here… And the town becomes overrun with the forest once again… Will it kill me?" I ask with no emotion behind my words whatsoever.

Felix stops his rushed packing and walks over to me. "Karina, sit up." When I refuse to do as he says he forces me into a sitting position and then cups my face in his hands. "Pan would not want you to die. He would want you to get off your ass and fight for your life. I know you're hurting a lot right now, but as your friend I am telling you to quit with your self-pity and pack and live!"

"You can be a real ass sometimes, you know that, right?" I grumble but I get up and start to pack my things as well. The moment we're finished throwing my few belongings into the suit case Felix slams it shut and we head towards the town line.

We're the last ones to arrive and I can see that the tearful goodbyes are already underway. Emma hugs her parents, and so does Henry. When my father sees me he walks hesitantly towards me. "I'll leave you two alone." Felix mutters awkwardly as he wanders over to Emma's car with my suitcase.

"Karina…" My father whispers. "I'm… So sorry. For everything. I stupidly thought that treating you like a child was the best way to keep you safe but I realize now that I couldn't have been more wrong. I spent so much time looking for the little girl I lost that I refused to believe that she had grown up into a wonderful, beautiful woman that didn't need her papa anymore. I'm sorry that Pan was killed and I'm sorry for my hand in his demise… If I could go back I would have let you make your own decisions and none of this would be happening."

"Don't blame yourself, papa…" I mumble as I look down at my feet.

"I do blame myself because I didn't realize just how much you loved him until I saw your heart break and mine broke along with yours. A father never wants to see his child in pain and to know that I'm the one who's caused you the most pain in your life upsets me more than you can ever know. I can't let you go until I tell you just how sorry I am. I don't expect you to forgive me. I just needed you to know that I am sorry… And that I love you." Hesitantly he reaches towards me for a hug. I allow him to wrap his arms around me but I know it's not lost on either of us that I barely return his hug.

"I love you too, papa." I reply as we pull away. "Goodbye." Tears fill his eyes as I squeeze his hand and walk towards Emma's car. I send a small wave in Tink's direction and I realize that she is also crying.

"Hey, Karina…" I turn around and I'm immediately enveloped in a hug by Neal. "Until we meet again… And we will, I promise."

"Bye Neal… Take care of yourself." I give him a watery grin and upon seeing my tears he pulls me in for another hug.

"You too…" When he pulls away I can tell he wants to say more, but we both know that saying anything else has the potential to ruin everything. Instead he smiles sadly and pats my shoulder.

I turn away and prepare to say goodbye to the person I was dreading saying goodbye to the most. I see him standing next to the car with his hands shoved in his pockets and his usual pessimistic scowl etched into his pale features. We stand in front of each other for a moment simply staring at one another. But then, after what seemed like an eternity, we reach out and hug. I bury my face in his neck and once again the tears start to flow. "I think I'm going to miss you to the most." Saying goodbye to Felix feels like saying goodbye to Peter. They're so much alike and I care so much for Felix, just like I cared for Peter. Once I leave with Emma and Henry I will no longer have any connection to my old life.

"Surprisingly, I think I'm going to miss you too." Felix attempts to sound nonchalant and I'm sure to the others he sounds that way. But I can hear the real pain in his voice that he's trying to mask because only I know him well enough.

"Promise me you won't do anything stupid." I order, my voice muffled because my face is still turned into his neck.

"Funny, I was just about to say the same thing to you…"

"I mean it, Felix. Don't try to go after Regina, or Mary Margaret and David, or my father or anyone for killing Peter. You'll just end up dead and I won't be able to live with myself if you die too."

"Technically, you won't know if I'm dead or alive once I go back to the Enchanted Forest." Felix replies.

"Felix." I say warningly and his answer is to hug me tighter.

"I promise I won't do anything to anyone. I'll try my best to stay alive… For you." He whispers in my ear and now that no one else can hear him he allows his emotions to creep slowly into his voice.

As we pull away I hear Regina telling Emma that the curse will take away our memories but she will give us new ones. As she says this an idea hits me. "Taking away my memories… They'll take away any memory of Peter, right? But it can't take away my emotions… I'll be sad and I won't know why."

"That's right… But what I can do is give you new memories, happier ones. They should cover the pain you felt over Pan's death. Consider it my way of thanking you for helping us get Henry back." I think this is the sincerest Regina has been with me since before everything happened in Neverland. "My gift to all of you will be a good life with happy memories… Emma, you will never have given Henry up. Karina, Emma will have adopted you and you'll be so happy and living a life with a good family like you were always meant to. When I stop Pan's curse and you three cross over that line… You'll have the life you've always wanted."

"But it won't be real…" Emma responds.

"Your past won't… But your future will be. Now go… There isn't much time left and the curse will be here any minute." Regina smiles sadly.

There is one more quick goodbye before the three of us walk over to Emma's car. Henry jumps in the back and I climb into the passenger's side as Emma gets behind the wheel. I look in the mirror and I can see the huge green cloud of the curse quickly approaching behind us. Just when I think we're about to get wrapped up in the curse Emma pulls away and Regina casts a spell of her own.

Everyone becomes enveloped in the different coloured cloud of smoke and slowly I take my eyes off the mirror and settle into the front seat. I try to hold onto my memories but I can feel them slipping away from me faster and faster. Then, almost like a switch has been flipped everything changes.

 _One Year Later…_

I'm sitting on the roof of our building without a care in the world as I continuously look back and forth between the star map Emma got me for my birthday and the sky. I'm trying to spot as many constellations as I can but the sky isn't exactly bright in New York. However, there seems to be two stars in particular that constantly catch my attention. Stories I was told as a kid would link them to the story about Peter Pan and his lost boys… The second star to the right.

No matter how many times I try to ignore those two stars I find myself constantly being drawn back to them. I can't seem to look away for longer than a few seconds. There's nothing overtly special about the stars. Their placement match the story of how to get to Neverland and although they seem to shine brighter than most stars there are still a few brighter than them.

Suddenly a huge gust of wind knocks my star map out of my lap and sends it flying over the edge of the roof. I jump to my feet and rush to see where it lands. That's when I hear my name. " _Karina…_ " It seems like it's a whisper carried across the wind and something about the way that it sounds stops me in my tracks. I feel a deep, heavy pang in my chest that stops my breathing and stills my heart. I look around as the wind starts to die down but I don't see anyone. Feeling unnerved I decide to forget my star map and I rush back into the building.

As the door slams shut behind me, pushed by the heavy wind, I hear my name again, only this time it's shouted inside my head. " _KARINA!"_

I push the deadbolt into place on the door and slowly back away, my heart pounding and my breathing short and heavy. The wind slams against the door, making it sound like someone is knocking rather forcefully. Feeling terrified I twirl around and rush back to the apartment I share with Emma and Henry.

I don't look back, even when I feel like there is a pair of eyes watching my every move.

 **A/N:** I really hope killing off Peter didn't turn any of you off from the sequel! However, this ending does hold a mystery that needs to be solved, does it not? I just felt that all of this needed to happen because I couldn't justify Peter turning completely soft at the end. He and Karina are villains so I needed an ending that did their characters justice.

Now, I would like to take a moment to thank each and every person who read and supported this story. The overwhelming support I received while writing this story truly blew me away and I can't thank all of you enough. I am so happy that I will be able to do a sequel for you all and I hope you all enjoy it as much as you enjoyed this story.

The sequel should be posted by the time you have finished this chapter. It's called _Say You Won't Let_ Go and I hope you all will go check it out!

Please take a moment to review!


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